A Mortal Life
by sirwayde
Summary: POST-ECLIPSE- After the battle, Bella chose Jacob but left him behind because of imprinting. Away at college, she discovers that love and the supernatural are far from finished with her... not to mention her past refusing to stay in the past...J/B/OC
1. Realizations

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyers owns Twilight.I do not!**

**Thanks to my awesome Beta Blueboarderchick!You rock!  
**

**A/N: ****Warning!** This is not your average Bella and Jacob forever story. Things will get messing and I predict that this will be a difficult and painful story for me to write. Follow Bella's journey to find herself and ultimately, happiness. This story will be very long as I take you through Bella's college years and continue after she returns home (in the sequel). In college Bella will go through some changes and try new things. She also befriends some people who turn out to be more than she thought. Jacob will **not** be a part of her life while she's away at school but he will be **after** she returns home. I hope you don't skip the college chapters as it will help you to understand some of the choices Bella makes when she returns to Forks. That being said, enjoy the story!

Flames will be ignored and, quite frankly, a waste of time. If you're not enjoying the story then you are free to stop reading at anytime.

Also, if you don't like Original Characters(OC), then this story is not for you. There are a few of them in this story.

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Chapter One

The battle was over. I could hardly believe it. After weeks of living in absolute terror, Victoria and her army of newborns were dead and I was finally safe. But Jacob, my Jacob, was hurt in the fight. I woke up on my bed because passed out when heard the news. Edward had carried me home. He was sitting next to where I lay on my bed, stroking my hair with his cold fingers.

"Are you all right, my love?" he asked me, topaz eyes filled with nothing but concern for me.

I opened my mouth, and before I could even think of what to say, I croaked out, "Jacob."

Edward's fingers froze in their stroking motion on my hair and for a second hurt flashed on his face but then settled on understanding.

"He's fine, but all the bones on the right side of his body were broken when he got between Leah and a newborn. Carlisle and the others took him home and had to reset the bones that were healing wrong. Last time I called Carlisle, Jacob was resting comfortably."

"What about everyone else? Was anyone in your family hurt?"

"No, everyone's okay." His topaz eyes reassured me.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I sat up, glanced over at my alarm clock and saw that it was 1:30pm. I needed to see Jacob and make sure he was okay with my own eyes, but I didn't know how to tell Edward I wanted to see him.

Edward guessed what I wanted to say and before I could ask he said, "Carlisle wanted you informed that Billy said Jacob would want to see you when he wakes up. Billy will call and let you know when to come over."

"Okay, I'll go see him later to make sure he's okay." I said, while getting up and ambling toward the bedroom door.

"Bella, you know how I feel about you going to see the do- Jacob. Alice can't see you when you're in La Push. That place is crawling with young werewolves and I have no way of knowing you're safe." His expression was fathomless, giving me the impression that something had changed between us.

"Edward," I sighed, feeling a weariness settle on my shoulders. "What part of everything that happened today, don't you understand? The wolves fought for my life with you and your family today. They risked their lives and I think they've proven themselves, don't you?" I queried with an irritated frown.

I was so tired of having this conversation every single time I wanted to go down to La Push and hang out with Jacob and the pack. Why couldn't he understand that they were my friends? Was he always this controlling? Why couldn't he understand my need to see Jacob? Jacob…he almost died today. What would I have done if he had, if I could never see my personal sun smile at me again?

I didn't realize that throughout my internal musing Edward was watching my face, attempting to decipher the emotions he saw flickering there. Whatever he saw was a cause for great concern. Faster than I could blink, Edward crossed the room, tilted my chin upward until he could gaze deep into my eyes. "Bella, be honest with me. Are you-" He paused, looking as if it pained him to complete the question.

"Bella, I'm sorry but I must go, I need to speak with Alice immediately," he informed on his way to my window.

"Edward? Is something wrong?" I asked, feeling the beginnings of panic curling in my stomach. The fear that he would leave and never come back, reared it's unpleasant head, but I held myself in check. Surely I could survive without Edward for a few hours, couldn't I?

"No Bella, everything's okay," he turned and smiled my favorite crooked smile, trying to reassure me, although I couldn't help but sense that something between Edward and me had been altered. He walked back toward me, bent down and lightly kissed me.

"If Billy calls before I get back, promise me you'll call and let me know before you go over there to see Jacob, please?" Edward pleaded, his words held traces of desperation.

"Okay, I promise," I said, and watched him move back toward to my window. I blinked and then he was gone. So I decided to go downstairs and make myself a sandwich to eat while I waited for Billy's call.

After I made myself a sandwich and ate it, I sat on the couch and thought about all the things that had happened today. I asked Jacob to kiss me so he would feel like he had something to come back to and he wouldn't give up, allowing himself to die in battle. That kiss was like nothing I've felt before. His warm lips on mine, his warmth surrounding me, forcing me to forget about everything. I forgot about my promise to marry Edward, about Victoria and her army of vampire she made just to kill me and everyone I loved and about the fact that my best friend could walk away from me now and I could never see him alive again. Once I forgot all these things, I began to remember things, things like how Jacob put me back together when Edward left me, Jacob riding his motorcycle, Jacob's face as he pulled me from the sea, Jacob's face as I hurt him over and over again, Jacob smiling, Jacob, Jacob… Jacob.

Then as he kissed me the most wonderful thing happened to me, I began to feel things I never allowed myself to feel. I envisioned our life together, our children and our family. We were so happy together. It was in that instant I knew that Jacob was right all along. I didn't just love him. I was also in love with him. The love didn't just hit me like a lighting bolt, as it did with Edward. It crept up on me while I sat in his garage drinking warm soda, while I watched him fix our motorcycles, while holding hands and cuddling at bonfires. It had been a long time in the making.

After Edward's abandonment, Jacob became my life preserver in the stormy sea of pain that had been my life. Edward's return didn't change the fact that I still needed him. No one could understand why I still wanted to see him when I'd gotten my Edward back, my supposed everything. Edward could never understand why I got so mad when he tried to stop me from seeing Jacob. I could admit to myself now that I angry because deep inside I knew Jacob would never try to stop me from seeing Edward, if their situations were switched. He wouldn't have liked it, but he wouldn't have tried anything underhanded, like disabling my car and getting his sister to babysit me. Like I was a child who couldn't be trusted.

Now I knew I loved Jacob and I wanted a life with him. As I sat there on my couch, I glanced down at my engagement ring and wondered how I would tell Edward. I felt anxiety and pain at the thought of how much it would hurt him to hear that even though I loved him, it wasn't enough, not for me, not anymore. But after everything we'd been through, I knew that I owed Edward the truth. Taking off the ring and concealing it in my pocket, brought me so much relief that it made me ashamed. I never felt right wearing it in the first place.

I thought of everything I had put Charlie and Renee through the past year. I wondered how I could have been so selfish to have even considered letting them letting them believe I died in some freak accident after my change. What parent wouldn't die inside if they had to bury their child? How could I have ever thought of becoming a vampire? If the sight and smell of blood is enough to make me want to puke or pass out, how would that work out if I was a vampire? I realized that I must have self esteem issues if I thought I had to make such a drastic change to feel like I was worthy of Edward.

Jake never made me feel that way. He loved me flawed and broken as I was. Edward was out of this world beautiful but Jake was earth-bound beautiful. Edward was beautiful in his perfection, but Jake was beautiful while sweating, swearing, stuffing his face, covered in grease smudges. Jacob Black was real beauty and I wanted him.

The ringing of the telephone broke me out of my thoughts and I realized I was crying. I stumbled toward to phone and stubbed my big toe on the table.

With a muffled curse, I answered the phone, "Hello?"

"Bella, it's Billy, Jake's up and he wants to see you," Billy's tone was layered with anxiety, almost like he was worried I wouldn't come.

"Of course I'll come over, Billy, I'll see you in twenty minutes," I said with a smile. I couldn't wait to see Jacob. We said our goodbyes and hung up.

I left Charlie a note letting him know I would be in La Push. I didn't want to give him anymore reason to worry about me. I opted to text Edward instead of calling, letting him know I was headed out. Grabbing my keys, I ran outside, got into my truck and took off for La Push.

As I drove to the reservation, I thought about why I agreed to marry Edward in the first place. Knowing how much my parents' failed marriage turned me off the whole idea of young marriages, why would I agree to get married so young? I knew deep down inside that part of the reason I agreed to marry Edward was because I was afraid he would leave me and take my other family away from me again.

The other reason was because I just wanted to be able to kiss my boyfriend with tongue. I was tired of being denied over and over again. I wanted to go past chaste kissing like any normal teenager. I wanted to experience a lot of things before I got married. After months of practically begging for affection, Edward agreed to try, but only if I agreed to marry him first. Jeez, what kind of desperate idiot agrees to get married just so they can have sex? _Bella Swan, that's who_. Lord knows I still had a lot of growing up to do.

I couldn't wait to see Jake and finally tell him the words he'd been dying to hear. We could be together and he'd be mine. Then I remembered the one thing that could end my world with one look… imprinting.

I felt like I had just been punched in the stomach. I couldn't drive anymore and had to pullover because I was sobbing so hard I could barely see the road. With sinking despair, I realized that Jacob wasn't mine and never would be. Even though Jacob already told me that he didn't think it was possible for him to imprint, as rightful alpha, the odds of him imprinting were greatly increased. He told me that the chances of him imprinting were rare. _Rare my ass_. So many of them had already imprinted…Sam, Jared, and now Quil. He wouldn't be able to fight the imprint. Sam couldn't and it broke Leah. I wasn't half as strong as she was, and I knew with certainty that if Jacob imprinted and left, that there would be no coming back from that for me. The pain would be worse than when Edward left me.

Tightening my grip on the steering wheel, I leaned my head on it. I couldn't be with Jacob either and it would hurt him if he knew, that being him a werewolf was the very reason we could never be together. I had to let him go, even though doing so would break both our hearts.

I made up my mind that after I saw Jacob today, I would leave and go spend some time in Florida with Renee until it was time to leave for college. I knew that if I stayed, Jacob would convince me to give him a chance. He would never give up on me and I needed to stay strong. For the first time in my life, I would run from danger instead of toward it.

Sitting upright in my seat, I wiped at my eyes with my hands before looking at my reflection in the rearview mirror. God, I was a mess with my red eyes and slightly red nose. After I straightened out my appearance as best I could, restarted my car and got back on the road to La Push.


	2. Being Selfish

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not.**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

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Chapter 2

As I drove up to the house, I saw Leah sitting outside. Or at least a girl who looked like Leah, as I was too busy sprinting passed her to make sure. Billy must have heard me drive up because he looked like he was on his way to open the door before I came barreling through it. I panted a hello to Billy and the rest of the pack sitting in the living room before I was off running again down the hallway to Jake's room. When I stopped at his door to open it, I heard Sam mumble, "Everyone else but Bella can see that she loves him."

_I do love him, Sam, but it's not going to do me one damn bit of good_, I thought to myself while turning the door knob.

The heartbreaking truth of the matter was that Jacob and I were not meant to be together. Otherwise he would've imprinted on me.

I opened the door to a very pained and somber looking werewolf. Gently shutting the door behind me, I turned back to him and took in his injuries. Of course my eyes went straight to his chiseled bare chest before it rolled on down to the blanket covering him from the waist down. I wondered for a second if he was naked under there. My cheeks flushed as my gazed was interrupted by a soft chuckle.

"Aw, Bells. If you want to know what I have on under my blanket, you could just come on over and have a peek." His husky voice brought my eyes back to his face and I saw the fear under his attempt at humor.

I decided to ignore the warmth in face and his comment and asked, "How are you feeling, Jake?"

"I've been better. I think Dr. Fang drugged me up real good because I can't feel much. Why are you standing all the way over there? Come sit on the bed." He said while patting the space next to him.

Instantly, I heard the warning bells going off on my head. No way was I going to sit on a bed with a naked Jacob next to me. Jacob looked disappointed when I walked passed his bed, opting to sit in the chair next to it instead.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Jake. I don't know what I would've done if anything had happened to you today." I felt the tears flowing and as my hand reached up to wipe my face, Jake's eyes taking notice of my missing ring.

His face broke into an almost blinding smile. "I was right, wasn't I? I just knew you loved me. Is that why you're not wearing his ring?"

I drew in a deep breath. "Yes, Jacob, I do love you and that's why I won't marry Edward and have him change me. It's not the life I want anymore." I paused and took another deep breath steeling myself for this part. "But it doesn't change anything between us, Jake. I'm still leaving for Dartmouth in a month and until it's time to go, I'll be in Florida with my mother." His good hand tightened into a fist, clutching at the blanket.

"I don't understand. Why are you leaving, Bells? You said it yourself, you love me. Why can't we still be together while you're away at college? You can come home during college breaks and we'll still see each other,right?" He asked in a pleading voice, desperate for my reassurance. "Why can't you stay with me, Bells?" He whispered and I felt my heart splinter.

"Because even though I love you, it still isn't enough to"….._to let you hurt us both when you leave me for her_… "to keep me here. I don't want to be like my mom, Jake. I don't want to wake up one day feeling like I wasted my life away in a small town," I finished lamely, hating myself every inch of the way. He felt like he wasn't good enough, but I was the one who wasn't good enough.

Looking at his face, seeing how much my words had hurt him; I almost caved right then and there. I almost told him that I changed my mind, that I would stay, that there was no where else in the world I'd rather be. But then Leah's bitter face flashed in my mind and I bit down on my lip so hard that I almost drew blood. Leah was a painful reminder of what was waiting for me, if I chose to stay, if I chose to give him everything. Who was I kidding? It would be better if I ended up angry and bitter, and not a hollowed out, catatonic shell.

No matter how much I loved Jacob, I couldn't do that to myself again. Not for him, not for anyone.

"When do you leave to see your mom?" He made himself ask.

"Tomorrow," I murmured. The sooner I put some distance between me and Forks, the better.

Jacob looked like he wanted to argue but instead, settled for, "Just promise me when you get back from your mom's, that you won't leave without saying goodbye."

By the stubborn set of his jaw, I knew that Jacob Black would not take this lying down. As soon as he was able to get up from that bed, he would use every trick in the book to convince me to stay.

"I promise Jake." The lie tasted bitter in my mouth. I had no intention of keeping that promise. "I have to go, I still haven't told Edward yet."

Rising out of the chair, I quickly headed for the door. I needed to get out of there before I lost it completely. Already I could feel the tears stinging my eyes, and it was getting increasingly difficult to breathe.

"He's not going to give you up without a fight, Bells. I won't give up on you either. I'll always be waiting for you to see we belong together." I opened the door but didn't turn to look at him. If I didn't see his face then maybe I could bear this.

"Don't waste your time on me, Jake. Someday you'll see, I was right to leave." And with that I walked out of his room, out of his life, closing the door firmly behind me.

By the time I was finished talking to Jake, there was no sign of Billy or the pack, and for that I was grateful because I was a sobbing mess. As I left the house I could barely see my truck and was too busy fumbling with my keys to notice there was one other person waiting to talk to me.

"Give me your keys." When I turned around I saw Leah's annoyed face looking back at me. "Come on, I don't have all day. Besides, you're not in any condition to drive and I have some things to say to you," she grumbled, gesturing impatiently for my keys.

With shaking hands, I relinquished the keys and climbed into the cab. Leah got in and started up the truck. After a few minutes of driving, I realized she was headed for First Beach. She parked the truck, and we watched the orange glow of the setting sun and crashing waves in silence. What could Leah Clearwater possibly want to say to me? She'd never been particularly friendly. And I always got the feeling that she didn't like me hanging around Jake either.

Leah was the first to break the silence. "I heard what you said to Jake."

"I guess everybody heard then?" I mumbled, feeling a little embarrassed that nothing was ever private among a group of super-hearing wolves.

"No, Billy cleared everyone out when you went in to see Jake but I decided to stick around a bit." She shifted in her seat, looked me straight in the eye and continued, "I know what you did and I want to let you know... that you did the right thing."

"Wait -what?" I was genuinely shocked. I thought she wanted to yell at me for hurting Jacob yet again. Her approval was the last thing I expected.

She rolled her eyes and explained, "I don't hate _you,_ Bella, I just hate your choices. You knowingly got involved with a leech and when he left you, you allowed yourself to fall apart over him. You hurt yourself and a lot of people when you did that. You started hanging out with Jake and the pack, and actually started to look like a real person again. Then out of nowhere you ditched Jacob and the guys to go save your suicidal vampire. I mean, the pack was there for you, protecting you, keeping you safe and you turned your back on us. You don't even want to know how frantic and hurt Jake was when you left. Then you came back with the leech glued to your side as if nothing had ever happened. As if he and his family didn't abandon you only to come back because they wanted you to save their precious '_Edward._'" She sneered.

I stared at her, jaw hanging. No one had ever said those things to me before. I wanted to open my mouth and defend Edward and the Cullens but I couldn't. Edward left to protect me, but he didn't think about how it would make me feel to cut off all ties with people I had come to consider as my family. To this day, I still wondered if he would have come back for me on his own, if Alice hadn't seen me jump of the cliff that day.

Leah's lips hardened into a thin line before she continued to let me have it. "_Then_, as if you taking the leech back weren't bad enough, you agree to marry him and become a leech yourself. I mean really, Bella, how stupid do you have to be?"

At this point, I felt like I had to at least try and defend myself. Things weren't so black and right. "Leah it wasn't that simple. I loved him, I still do."

"Yeah, I get that you loved him, Bella, but did you love yourself, did you love your parents? And what about Jacob and all the other people you would have had to leave behind after your change? Your life isn't just your own, Bella, your life is also a part of the lives of the people that love you. If you didn't have enough sense to live for your family you should've had enough sense to want to live for yourself."

Knowing that I deserved her words, I hung my head in shame. Everything Leah said was right. I'd hurt a lot of people with my selfishness, Jacob most of all. But through everything he never gave up on me. This made me question myself again as to whether or not I was doing the right thing by leaving him. Maybe he wouldn't imprint.

Almost as if Leah heard my thoughts, she repeated firmly, "You're doing the right thing, Bella."

"Yeah? Well, it doesn't feel like it. It feels like I'm making the biggest mistake of my life." My voice cracked and Leah's eyes softened a fraction.

"You and me have more in common than anyone else, Bella. We both know what it's like to be broken and to lose the life we wanted so badly. I also think the reason you got on my nerves so much was because I was worried that you would pick Jake." She looked at me with a sad smile. "I know why you're pushing Jacob away. It's about imprinting. Am I right?"

I nodded and she continued. "If Jake was a normal guy I might have supported you guys. But not only is he a werewolf, he also has a soul mate somewhere waiting for him. You're much smarter than I give you credit for. If I had known beforehand, that Sam would have imprinted and left me, I would have run from him too." The sadness in her eyes was almost too much.

"You're so much stronger than I could ever be, Leah," I told her. "You have to do whatever Sam says and hear his thoughts…I would never be able to do that. What I feel for Jacob could end up being so much stronger than what I feel for Edward, but I can't do that to myself, Leah. It would drive me crazy having to wonder how much time we had left together. Especially since I know in my heart he'll eventually imprint and leave me." Just saying those words out-loud, was enough to make my heart ache.

She turned away from me, looking out the window with a bitter smile. "It makes you feel unworthy, doesn't it?"

"Like you're not good enough. If we were, then they would have imprinted on us." I glanced out my window, with a bitter smile of my own.

"There's nothing like crappy wolf magic to let you know just how much you suck," Leah snorted sarcastically.

"Pathetic," I supplied.

"Unwanted," Leah's face hardened.

"Sure does wonders on your self esteem too." Was it wrong of me to hate a girl I knew nothing about?

"I knew if anyone was capable of understanding, that it would be you. You're lucky, Bella. You have a chance to get far, far away from all this bullshit. I can't leave here as long as I keep phasing and I'll keep phasing until our people don't need me to anymore. I still have to stay here for Seth and my mom. They need me." A small smile crept onto her face. For a few moments, I got a glimpse of the beautiful girl she used to be before all the rage.

I never thought Leah and I would have something in common. We both knew the meaning of real pain. We knew the agony involved in being in love with people not meant for us. And I couldn't help but feel grateful that she shared her feelings with me. She needed someone to talk to who wasn't pack or an imprintee and she made me feel better about leaving. Maybe we could be friends.

"Thanks, Leah, you know…for yelling at me and everything. Can I call you sometime when I'm at Dartmouth, you know, just to check in?" Even though I was leaving Jake behind, I still wanted to be able to check up on him and make sure he was okay.

"Okay." She said, then took my phone and punched in her number. "But if you ever drunk dial me, I will personally fly to Bendover and kick your ass," she grumbled.

"Jeez, Leah, it's Hanover not Bendover and you know I don't drink," I laughed lightly.

"You never know, Swan, college is the place to try new things." She glanced at me slyly.

Abruptly, I remembered that Jacob would see everything we just talked about the second she phased.

"Oh God, Leah…Jake will see everything we just talked about." I was already working myself into a frenzy but Leah cut me off.

"Relax, Swan, I'm almost as good at hiding my thoughts as Sam is. Besides, it's not like anyone tunes into the Leah channel anymore. When anyone tried in the past, I would replay some of my Sam memories or think about my period and that usually got them to tune out real quick." Hurt flashed across her beautiful face for a second before she forced the look of nonchalance onto it. "Come on, I'll drive you home, I have to start patrol soon anyway."

She restarted the engine and headed back to Forks. On the way back we chatted at bit about college and she confessed to thinking about taking some business courses at Community College. Being a werewolf, she wouldn't be able to work for anyone else because of the times she might need to leave suddenly. So she was thinking of opening a business for herself.

I wasn't sure what I wanted to study yet and would use my time at Renee's to figure it out. She pulled up in front of my house and we got out of the truck. Instantly she stiffened and growled, "The mind reading leech is here, will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine, Leah. I have to talk to him too." I sighed, feeling a little touched that she was worried about me.

"All right then, see you." With that she tossed me my keys, and jogged into the woods.

I turned to look at the house with a heavy heart knowing I had yet another heart to break today.

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**A/N: I've always thought some stories were mean to Leah. What happened to her was enough to make anyone a bitch. I wanted to show that she isn't all that bad. Coming up Bella's talk with Edward.**


	3. Be Better

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not.**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

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Chapter Three

Stepping through the door, I nervously looked around for any sign of Edward. I didn't find him in the living room, so I assumed he was in my room waiting for me. My hands gripped the banister as I slowly walked up the stairs, trying to think of a way to tell him I couldn't give him my forever anymore. This would be one of the hardest things I ever had to do.

My heart pounded away in my chest as I walked toward my door. Drawing in a fortifying breath, I opened the door to come face to face with a very hurt vampire. We stood, staring at each other in silence for a few moments. He was still so beautiful. I looked into eyes, topaz eyes I once longed to have for myself, and saw his agony. For the second time today, my heart broke. His hair looked like he had run his hands through it repeatedly in frustration. I still loved him so very much, that, I was sure, would never change. He was my first love and what we shared was so intense, earth shattering but in the end so …_unhealthy._

I decided to take the chicken shit way out. Trying to delay the inevitable, I asked, "Where did you go?"

"I went to see Alice, Bella. I know… She saw you at Dartmouth... without me." Hence the reason for his hurt expression.

And just like, hot trails of tears burned their way down my cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Edward, but I can't marry you and I don't want to be a vampire anymore. I can't give up my life and hurt my parents like that." I stumbled over to my bed and sat down.

Edward crossed the room and gently lowered himself on the bed. He looked so crushed that I felt compelled to take his hand in a futile attempt to comfort him. It hurt more than anything, knowing that I was the source of his pain.

"Bella, I never wanted to become a vampire and I didn't want this life for you. You don't have to change. We could still be together." He looked at me with desperate hope in his eyes.

I felt it was best to be completely honest with him. "Edward, don't you see how that could never work? Edward, you're seventeen and you'll be seventeen forever, but in a month I'll be nineteen. I'll never be happy growing older while you stay the same. How can we be happy when we can't even really kiss each other? And…" I felt myself blush crimson. "Sex would be out of the question. Someday I might want kids, Edward. I don't want kids right now, but I don't want to close off that possibility forever either."

"Where is all this coming from all of a sudden, Bella? This is really about that mutt, isn't it? You're leaving me to be with him." He narrowed his and clenched his jaw. Oh great, he was mad. But it was easier to deal with an angry Edward, than it was to deal with a hurt Edward.

In response to his anger, my temper flared. "Edward, this has nothing to do with Jacob! This is about us and how I always felt about myself when I was with you. I never once felt like your equal. I know now that was one of the reasons I wanted you to change me. If I was a vampire too I wouldn't have felt so insecure whenever we were together. But I know now how stupid I was being. I shouldn't have to change everything about myself to feel beautiful enough for you."

Edward looked like I had just slapped him in the face. "Bella, I always thought that you beautiful just the way you are."

"I know that, Edward, but it's hard being around someone like you. Who's so physically perfect all the time, when I'm…not. It's just too hard. I want to be okay with who I am. Clumsy, imperfect, pale…me. I feel like I need to find myself. I still love you, Edward, and I don't think that will ever change. But in truth, I never really dealt with how much it hurt me when you left. I think that my trust in you never went back to the way it was before. I was always so afraid that you would disappear on me again, that I didn't want to let you out of my sight. I pushed all of my friends away to be with you. Everything was about you. I didn't want to go to college. I didn't want to do anything but be with you. That wasn't healthy at all." I bowed my head. I was ashamed of myself and how much I let him take over my life.

"I didn't know you felt that way, Bella," He mumbled, looking every bit as stunned as he sounded.

"Truthfully, Edward, I didn't know I felt that way myself until earlier and that's why I can't marry you, Edward. I don't think I'm the one for you. You should be with someone you can really be yourself with. Someone you wouldn't have to hold back with. You deserve to have that with someone, Edward. You deserve to have a real relationship. We both do." I said, feeling better that I was getting my feelings out into the open.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. I will never forgive myself for what I did to you when I left. I really messed up our relationship. Didn't I?" He looked so broken and dejected.

I laid my head on his shoulder. It was hard to know that I was the cause of his pain. "Maybe we both did, Edward. But... I know this might be too much to ask but... do you think we could still be friends? You still mean so much to me. I don't want to cut you out of my life." I was still selfish enough to want to keep him in my life.

"I'll always want to be in your life, Bella. Whatever you want me to be I'll be." He reassured as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder. My eyes drifted close, savoring his cool embrace.

I thought back to earlier, when I was looking at the engagement ring on my finger. I had taken it off my finger, placing it in my pocket. Even though I knew that this would hurt him even more, it still had to be done.

Pulling away from him, I removed the ring from my pocket before handing it back to him. "Edward, I'm sorry but I can't keep…" I could barely finish the sentence. Edward was devastated. Why did this have to be so hard?

"Bella, please, the ring is yours to keep." He made no movement to take back the ring.

"Edward, this ring belongs to your future wife and we both know that's not me, not anymore. I'm giving this back to you, so you can give it to the woman that could love you the way you deserve. I don't feel right keeping it. Please take it." I offered the ring again.

He stretched out his hand and I pressed the ring into his palm, knowing it would be harder for him to take it from me. He cradled me as I burst into tears once more. I felt as if I was drowning in sorrow. I wished that things were different. That I was different, stronger, better. It was a while before I was able to pull myself together.

I pulled away, wiping at my face. It wasn't fair to Edward. I'd just broken his heart, I couldn't let him comfort me.

"Tomorrow, I'll use the plane tickets I got from Carlisle and Esme and go see Renee. I really need some time away by myself before school starts in the fall. But don't worry I'll be back to see you guys before I go. Tell Alice not to worry. She can still start shopping for my college wardrobe." I cringed, knowing I just unleashed hell with those words. Edward saw my expression and chuckled softly.

"Are you guys still going off to the University of Alaska?" I wondered if I would have a chance to see the family before they left.

"Yes, but I think I'll take some time off to travel before I join the others in Alaska. But we won't leave until you return from Renee's." He paused, listening to something in the distance. "Charlie is on his way home. He'll be here any minute. I should get going."

He got up and I followed him to my window where we stood gazing at each other intently. He sadly smiled my favorite crooked smile and said, "I'll always love you, Bella. If you ever change your mind, I'll be waiting."

A part of me wanted to beg him to stay with me, not to leave me. That part was screaming, telling me that I was a fool for giving Edward up. That I'd regret it, that no one else would ever love me like he did, that I would die alone. _Tell him you made a mistake. Say you take it all back,_ it hissed. But I resisted the urge by digging my nails into my palms instead.

"I'll always love you too, Edward." He climbed out my window and disappeared into the night. I didn't need to tell him I would never change my mind.

A minute later, I heard Charlie pulling up in his cruiser. I then remembered that with everything that happened today, I never got around to making dinner for Charlie. I arrived downstairs just as he was hanging up his gun holster. His eyes narrowed as he peered at my face, observing the splotchy redness left over from crying. With slumped shoulders, he walked to the living room and sat in his recliner. After trailing behind him and I sank down on the couch.

"I assume you saw Jacob?" I nodded yes. It was safer to remain silent as I didn't know what excuse Billy had used to explain to Charlie why Jacob was hurt.

"Bella, if I ever hear about you riding on that death trap of a motorcycle again, you'll catch hell from me. Do you understand?" Boy he was really serious about this.

"Sure, Dad." I wasn't interested in riding motorcycles anymore anyway.

"I just came from Billy's. I can't believe Jacob almost killed himself today on one of those things," he sighed and raked a hand through his thinning hair. He looked so stressed out. Guilt gnawed at me, remembering all the things I had put him through this past year.

"Dad, I have something to tell you." His eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"What?" He queried cautiously.

Drawing a deep breath, I announced, "The engagement is off. Edward and I broke up."

I watched as his face burned red with rage.

"What did he do?" He snarled. His right had twitched as if he wanted to get his gun.

I hurried to explain. "Edward didn't do anything, Dad. I broke it off with him because I felt like things were moving too fast. I'm not ready to get married." Charlie sagged back in his chair, not even bothering to hide his relief. He'd never liked Edward and was happy to witness our relationship's demise.

Suddenly a knowing smile broke out on his face and he questioned, "Does this have anything to do with Jacob Black?"

"Dad!"

My cheeks were burning. "I do care about Jake but it's not the reason I broke up with Edward." Then I mumbled under my breath, "Not completely anyway."

"What? I didn't hear that last part."

"I said, I think I want to go spend some time with mom before I go off to college. I want to use the birthday tickets I got from the Cullens."

"Your mom will be glad to see you. When do you want to fly out there?"

"I was thinking tomorrow."

"Why so soon? Are you okay?" He was concerned again. Probably worried I was going to have another breakdown again.

"Yeah Dad, I'm fine. I just need some time to be by myself for a while."

"You're not running away, are you?" His eyes narrowed again as he assessed me.

"No, I'm not Dad." I said lying through my teeth. I was running from Jacob but no one needed to know that.

I decided to change the subject. "Hey Dad, can you call and order a pizza or something? After everything that happened today, I'm not really in the mood to cook."

"Sure thing, Bells."

"I'll go upstairs and pack my stuff, then I'll call mom to let her know I'm coming." I got up from the couch and made my way upstairs. Retrieving my suitcase from my closet, I began packing. Charlie's voice was heard from downstairs as he ordered a pizza on the phone. Guilt gnawed at my stomach for all the secrets I'd kept from him. I hadn't been a very good daughter to him. I vowed that when I was away at college I would call him often. It was the least I could do.

When I was finished with packing, I sat on my bed, deciding to call Renee. The phone rang twice before she answered.

"Hello?" She answered with a smile in her voice.

"Hi Mom."

"Hi baby, how are you? You sound strange." Her voice was tinged with worry.

"I'm okay... I was wondering if I could come spend some time with you."

"Sure baby, when did you want to come down?"

"I was thinking tomorrow." I fiddled nervously with the blanket covering my bed.

She paused then asked, "Is everything okay?"

I blinked back the tears. "Not really, Mom. Can I tell you everything when I get to Florida?" I wasn't in the mood to rehash everything right now.

"Okay honey. What time does your flight come in?" Renee replied, with a bit of hesitance in her tone.

"I'll call the airline later, then I'll text you the information, okay?"

"Sure baby. See you tomorrow." Renee sounded reluctant to hang up. She was probably torn between wanting to hear the gory details now and not wanting to push me. We said our goodbyes then hung up. I called the airline and arranged a flight. I sent Renee the flight information and avoided Charlie until I heard the pizza arrive.

Charlie and I sat in the kitchen and ate in uneasy silence. Occasionally, he would glance at me, regarding my dismal features with a thoughtful frown. Thankfully, he choose to keep his speculation to himself. After dinner, he offered to drive me to the airport and I accepted. I dragged weary body to bed and cried myself to sleep, dreaming of black haired children.

* * *

The flight to Florida was boring and I spent the majority of it napping. Dreams and tears prevented me from getting enough sleep the night before. I collected my suitcase at the baggage claim and stood off to the side trying to find Renee. I heard her excited scream before I saw her running toward me. She gave me a hug that rivaled one of Jake's, then dragged me out to the car. She told me that, for the two weeks that I would be staying, she would be taking leave of absence from work.

"But, Mom, you didn't have to do that. I would have found some way to entertain myself until you got home." She was making me nervous. I really didn't like her having so much time to concentrate on me. Not when there were things I could never tell her. Things about vampires, werewolves and the many times I almost died in the past two years.

"It's no sacrifice at all, honey. I want to spend this time with before you go off to college. I still can't believe my baby is so grown up." She got all misty eyed.

After arriving at the house, I unpacked my bags, all the while listening to Renee ramble on excitedly about all the fun things she'd planned for my visit. All in all, I heard something about a shopping expedition, the beach and an arts market. I groaned when I heard the word shopping but I was excited about going to beach. I couldn't wait to sit in the sand and feel the sun on my face. The thought alone was enough to lift my spirits.

I went into the kitchen and helped her fix a chicken spaghetti lunch. It was nice, not having to watch her like a hawk, making sure she didn't try to add anything nasty to the food. We ate in the kitchen and I listened in silence as she talked about Phil and her job. I still wasn't ready to talk about everything that happened, and was grateful that she understood this without saying a word.

Later that night, Phil came home from practice and we all spent the evening watch the movie, Clear and Present Danger. It was an old movie but it wasn't bad. It was Phil's favorite movie. Renee and I joked that he must have an unhealthy obsession with Harrison Ford because he'd seen that movie over fifteen times. It didn't take long for Renee and Phil to notice the cheerless cloud, hanging over me. Despite Renee's protests, I retreated to my room, climbed into bed and fell into a fitful sleep.

I awoke to my mother jumping up and down on my bed.

"Time to wake up, sweetie. We have the entire day to spend in bed." I got off the bed and walked to the bathroom grumbling about cutting off her sugar supply.

After using the bathroom, I brushed my teeth then returned to the bedroom. Renee had the bed littered with movies and food. We spent the next few days day in that same pattern, lying in bed eating junk food and watching romantic comedies. It was nice. Just doing something as simple as watching movies with Renee helped soothe some of my fears about what I was about to walk away from.

We finally found time to go to the beach, where I got to enjoy the sun and the sand. At the beach though, I thought about Jacob and his sunny smile entirely too much. I called Charlie every night. He sounded a little sad and anxious, when he asked about my coming home. Miraculously Alice didn't call, so I knew Edward had gotten her to give me some space. Saturday came and we went to the art market. I bought a nice bracelet and Renee bought flip-flop sandals for herself and Phil. We wandered around aimlessly, checking out the different stalls. Eventually, my attention was drawn by a group of drummers with two women dancing, entertaining a crowd of onlookers.

As I stood in the crowd watching the women moving their bodies like gypsies, I longed to dance like them. They looked so free, without embarrassment or fear. I was tired. I was tired of being dull, boring, clumsy Bella. With a sense of despair, I began to realize that I had no idea who I was. Before moving to Forks, I had a life, friends and a babysitting job. I didn't have a boyfriend, but it wasn't a big deal to me. What happened to that girl? What happened to me?

Edward Cullen happened to me.

After moving to Forks, I lost all sense of self. I built my entire existence around Edward to the extent that I wanted to die if I couldn't be with him. Without Jacob, I might have. Before long, I was clinging to him as tightly as I did with Edward. When did I become that clingy girl who couldn't survive without a boyfriend? I'd turned into someone I didn't like or recognize.

After we got home Renee finally decided to ask me what happened. We were both curled up on my bed when she turned and asked, "What happened, Bella?"

"Edward asked me to marry him and I said yes." I decided to dive right in.

Her lips pressed together as she attempted to process my admission. "Okay. Then what else happened?"

"Jacob kissed me and I realized that I was in love with him too, so I broke things off with Edward."

"So are you and Jacob together now?" She raised an inquiring eyebrow.

"No, we're not. I told Jacob I couldn't be with him either. I'll be miles away at college, Mom, it would be too hard. Not to mention he's only sixteen." _Yeah, sixteen going on twenty five._

Renee sat up, frowning in confusion. "Honey, you make it sound as if Dartmouth is in another country. I don't understand why you can't still see each other when you come home on breaks."

I didn't know how to make her understand why Jacob and I couldn't be together. I couldn't say, _well, Mom, Jake's a werewolf with some predestined soul mate he'll eventually meet and leave me for someday_.

So I settled for, "It just felt like we were in different stages of our lives. If I had stayed with him I would have regretted it."

She nodded and bit her lip, obviously thinking about Charlie and the day she decided to leave him. Then the dam burst and I was crying into her lap while she stroked my hair. I never dreamed I'd feel so lost and alone at this stage of my life.

She murmured, "Honey, you are so much stronger than I ever was. You had to courage to stop yourself from making a big mistake. I was always worried about how dependent you were on Edward. You two always seemed far too serious about each other." She reached over and wiped the tears from my cheek. "You are very mature for your age, Bella, but you are not ready to get married. Don't be in such a hurry to grow up. Use this time at college to find yourself and someday, the right man will come along. Relationships shouldn't be so life or death."

Renee had no idea how right she was. If I wanted to be with Edward, I would've had to die. There was no way around that. I sacrificed so much of myself to be with Edward, that I was even willing to turn my back on my parents forever. There was no end to the shame I felt. I really was the worst daughter in the world and I vowed to myself that I would try to do better, be better.

* * *

**A/N: Funny enough I felt sorry for Edward in this Chapter. I guess I have to admit that his love for Bella was real. Even if was a little psychotic. **


	4. All I Have To Give

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not.**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

* * *

Chapter Four

That night, I fell asleep with Renee beside me, holding me like she used to when I was little. We spent the rest of my vacation reconnecting and by the end of it, I was reluctant to go back home. I hugged her and Phil goodbye at the airport and boarded the plane headed for home, feeling better than I had in a long time.

Charlie surprised me with a big hug when I arrived at the airport. He loaded my bags into the cruiser and drove us home. When we got home it was already dark, so I decided to take a bath and head straight to bed.

I woke up around nine the next morning, and found that Charlie had already left for work. I couldn't put it off anymore. Today, I would go see the Cullens. After showering, I ate a light breakfast. My anxiety tripled at the thought of seeing the Cullens and their reaction to me not wanting to join their family anymore. Would they hate me now?

I washed the dishes, and decided that there was no use putting off the inevitable. With knots in my stomach, I got into my truck and drove to the Cullen house.

Before I knew it, I was in front of the house. Immediately after I climbed out of the truck, I was wrapped in the chilling embrace of my best friend. I hugged her back feeling grateful that she didn't hate me for breaking Edward's heart.

"I missed you so much, Bella. Are you okay?"

Happy tears spilled from my eyes. I couldn't believe she cared about how I felt even after what I did to Edward. She led me into the house where I saw the rest of the family waiting to greet me in the living room. One by one each of the Cullens greeted me with a hug. Even Rosalie hugged and smiled at me. When Edward hugged me, he held on a little longer than necessary and only released me after Alice cleared her throat. He stepped away looking embarrassed and I gave him an understanding smile.

Carlisle turned to me, "Edward told us of your plans to attend Dartmouth. How soon were you planning on leaving?"

"I'm leaving the day after tomorrow. I want to get all my stuff to my dorm room quickly." I was afraid of staying longer and having Jake come find me. As much as I wanted to see him, it would hurt too much to say goodbye.

Carlisle smiled with a mischievous gleam in his eye. "Well, seeing as this year we won't be there with you for your birthday, we have a surprise waiting for you in Hanover."

I couldn't hide my small groan, not with vampires.

They laughed and Esme said, "We know how you feel, Bella, but please allow us to do this for you. We still consider you as our daughter. That will never change."

"Yeah, little sister. You only have to call and let me know what college guy's trying to get fresh with you and I'll come pound on him." Emmett chimed in. Of course I blushed.

Emmett smiled, "There's that blush we'll all miss so much."

After a few hours of visiting with them and talking about my plans, it was time to go. We said our goodbyes and Alice and Edward walked me out to my truck.

Alice spoke to me, while Edward hung back a bit trying to give me the illusion of privacy.

"Bella, I have a surprise for you." The pixie was bouncing up and down with excitement.

"What did you do Alice?" I was almost afraid to ask.

"I'm coming with you when you leave for Dartmouth. I have to take you to your present. I can't wait!"

I was a little relieved that I wouldn't be all alone in a new place, at least not at first.

Alice looked at me seriously. "I know you've been afraid that we would be mad at you for choosing to stay human, but you're wrong. We're happy really happy for you, Bella. _All_ of us are." We made plans to meet at the airport, knowing Charlie would want to drive me there. Then she slinked away leaving me alone with Edward.

He stood in front of me and took my hands in his cool ones. "I'll miss you so much, Bella." The pain in his eyes was almost unbearable.

"I'll miss you too, Edward," I said, swallowing the lump in my throat. I was determined not to cry. I had shed enough tears for Edward Cullen, to last me a lifetime.

He pulled me into a hug. "If you ever need anything, Bella, please don't hesitate to call me."

"Thank you, Edward, for everything." He pulled away, kissed me on my forehead. I got into my truck, drove away and tried not to look back.

I got home and spent the rest of the day cleaning the house and doing laundry. I looked at the clock and saw that it was getting close to dinner time. I went into the kitchen and made a chicken casserole, a broccoli salad and an apple pie for dessert. Charlie got home just as I was taking the pie out of the oven.

"Hey, Bells." He smiled and hung up his jacket.

"Hi, Dad."

"Nice spread you have there." Then he made a face when his eyes landed on the broccoli salad.

"Don't even start, Dad. You know you have to start eating better." I knew I would be worrying about his eating habits, when I was away at school.

We sat down and dug in. After a few moments, he not so casually mentioned that Jacob had been by a few times while I was at Renee's and I almost choked on a piece of chicken.

"That's nice, Dad." I mumbled and decided to change the subject.

"How was work today?" He eyed me again with an 'I know what you're trying to do' look and asked, "So what did you do today?"

"I went to see the Cullens. They were pretty okay with me breaking up with Edward. Alice is even coming to help me set up my stuff in Hanover. She'll me meet at the airport."

"It's nice that you're still on friendly terms with them. It's nice that you got to say your goodbyes. So when are you going to see Jake? You really should go see him, Bells. Say goodbye to him too." Damn! Well played, Charlie.

"Dad!" I blurted.

"All right, all right. Just want to see you two kids patch things up. He really misses you." We then fell into an uncomfortable silence. After we finished dinner, I washed the dishes while Charlie sat in his recliner watching sports. As I was about to make my way up the stairs, Charlie gave me a hug and mumbled, "I just wanted to say that, I'm real proud of you, Bells."

"Thanks, Dad." I was beginning to feel a little teary eyed. He pulled away looking embarrassed and went back to his game. Later that night, I lay awake thinking about Jacob. I would miss him so much.

When I woke up around ten o'clock the next day, Charlie told me that he had to go in work and that he would be home really late. I was a little disappointed that he wouldn't be home. I spent the rest of the day packing up my stuff and walking down memory lane. That night I sat on my bed with the lights off thinking about everything that happened to bring me to this point. For all my bravado, I was scared. Anybody would be scared of leaving behind everything they knew for something unknown. But this was part of growing up.

I must have dosed off because I was jolted awake by Jacob climbing through my window. This was one thing I would not miss. Why couldn't anybody ever use my front door? I sat up and watched as he landed on the floor with a soft thud. Then faster than I could blink, he yanked me out of my bed and pulled me to him. "What the hell, Bella? You were just going to leave without saying goodbye?" I could see enough of his face to know, he was pissed. I felt his hot breath on my face.

He was too close, making it hard to think. I tried to pull away but I only succeeded in making him tighten his grip.

"I'm sorry, Jake, but I just couldn't. It's just too hard. Out of everybody here, you are the one I'll miss the most." I finally confessed to him, ashamed of my cowardly actions. He pulled me to him, wrapping me in his warmth.

"I'll miss you too, Bells, so much. I don't know what I'll do without you. I love you so much." He kissed my forehead and suddenly I was all too aware that I was pressed against his bare chest. The atmosphere around us was thick with sexual tension. There was nothing standing between us anymore. There was no more Edward and no more denying my feelings.

I looked into his eyes and saw how much he wanted me. Jacob had always wanted me. With Edward I always had to hold back but with Jacob, there wouldn't be a need to. And to tell you the truth, that made me a little nervous. Jacob read the apprehension on my face. "Tell me when to stop, Bella, and I will." His deep husky voice sent shivers down my spine.

I stood on my toes and pressed my lips to his. I felt waves of emotion crashing over me. This was truly a bittersweet moment. We could never be together but we could have this one night.

Our kisses grew more passionate and I barely had time to register movement before I was on my bed, with Jake hovering above me. His kisses made me delirious with want. He leaned back and pulled my tank top over my head. I blushed when I remembered that I neglected to put on a bra earlier. Jacob's eyes were overflowing with love and lust as he watched me. "You're so beautiful, Bella." He groaned.

As he rained heady kisses down my neck, I felt him tugging on my shorts. I raised my hips to help him and felt my underwear slide off, along with my shorts. Suddenly, we were both naked and I was surprised because I had no memory of him taking off his pants. Throughout the awkward positioning, I managed to get a look at his member and I could tell that this was really going to hurt. He entered me and it…hurt…a lot. It was like someone turned off all the beautiful music and tossed a bucket of cold water on me. What the hell? I knew it was supposed to hurt but damn. I dug my nails deep into his and felt him tremble.

He breathed heavily into my ear, "Oh God, Bells. I'm sorry, so sorry." I tried to make myself relax as he continued to thrust himself into me. A bit later, the burning pain began subside and I began to feel a wave of pleasure building in my lower stomach. He began to mumble how much he loved me as he increased his pace. Seconds later, a strangled groan fell from his lips as he spilled himself deep within me. Jacob slumped against me, his shoulders shook and his nosed grazed against my jaw, as he raised his head to look at me. I had to blink back my own tears, as I took in the tears in his obsidian eyes. We looked at each other and he knew without saying a word. This was all I could give him. It was all I had to give. This was our goodbye.

**A/N: I decided to go for realism for Bella and Jake's first time.I was going to leave it out but I know I hate it when author hypes me up, then does a fade to black for the lemon. Hope you guys are enjoying the for the reviews,favs and alerts.**


	5. Goodbyes and Hellos

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not.**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

* * *

Chapter Five

_(Flashback)_

_I held the picture of Jacob and me together, at a bonfire, in my hand. I don't know who snapped the photo but there we were sitting side by side on a log. The breeze was blowing through my hair as I smiled looking at Jacob. He was also smiling back at me with his arms wrapped around my shoulders. Even frozen in time, you could still see his eyes filled with so much love for me._

_My hands shook as I read the letter he left next to my pillow._

_**I love you, Bells. **_

_**Please don't forget about me.**_

_**Someday you'll see, we're meant to be together.**_

_**Come back to me.**_

_**Jacob**_

_I stifled the sob that was working its way out my mouth, when I heard Charlie yell from downstairs, "Time to go, Bells!" I placed the picture and the letter in my suitcase and left._

I was brought back to the present by Alice calling my name. "Bella? Did you hear what I just said?" She glanced at me, and then turned her eyes back to the road.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" She glanced at me again. I realized I was fiddling with the charm bracelet I got from Jacob and forced myself to stop.

"I was saying that we aren't very far away from your present. You're going to love it." She began to drum her fingers excitedly on the steering wheel.

We were somewhere in Hanover, I wasn't exactly sure where but I think we were in Lebanon. Looking out the window, Hanover didn't look too different from Forks. The town looked small and picturesque, surrounded by beautiful New Hampshire woods. Thoughts of nature hiking took me by surprise. I'd never been much of a nature person but that probably had a lot to do with the fact that every time I ventured into the woods in Forks, I ran the risk of being mauled or drained by a vampire.

In Forks, I was constantly told I was a danger magnet. Over and over again. But before I came to Forks, I managed to get by just fine. It was only after I moved to Forks that the danger and madness that had taken over my life began. I made up my mind. Despite the gnawing pain in my heart, I would try to be happy here.

Alice drove up a street and parked in front of a large, beautiful apartment building.

"We're here," She said in a sing song voice.

"And where are we exactly?" I looked around.

"This is Everson Place. Your present is inside." I assumed this was where she was staying. We got out of the car, walked through the front doors and took the elevator to the fifth floor. The walls of the hallway were painted a cream and beige color scheme with brown carpeting. We walked down the hallway, passing three doors, until Alice stopped in front of apartment number twenty two. She unlocked the door and walked in while I trailed behind her. We walked into a fully furnished living room, containing a beige couch and love seat, mahogany center table with matching side tables, a book shelf and a television set. The apartment walls were painted cream and the drapes in front of the window were also beige. The place looked elegant yet homey.

As I looked around the place I began to wonder why Alice was staying in an apartment instead of a hotel. I turned to Alice and was about to ask when she shouted, "Ta-da!"

"Okay." I said slowly and raised my eyebrows.

"This is your present from the family." She clasped her hands together and started bouncing again.

"Alice, this is really nice but I can't accept th-," It's not that I didn't like the apartment. I did but I'd already pretty much resigned myself to living in a dorm.

Instantly the smile vanished from her face. She placed her hands on her hips and scowled at me, "Bella, I swear if you say that you can't accept the apartment, I will scream bloody murder." Her expression softened. "Bella, just let us do this for you. You've been through a lot, more than most girls your age. You deserve this and it makes us happy to do things for you. When you're a vampire with endless time on your hands, there's very little that makes you happy, Bella." She finished sadly.

"Fine, I'll take the apartment." I gave in. Besides I really liked the place.

"Great, let me give you the grand tour."

She then showed me the kitchen, the bedrooms, the bathrooms and the laundry room. We then went back downstairs to the car to get my things. While we were unpacking my things, I asked her why there were two bedrooms.

"The other room belongs to your roommate." I was a little worried. I didn't want to live with a weirdo.

She saw the expression on my face. "Don't worry, Bella. I've already checked her out. She'll be really good for you. I promise." She smiled gently. We walked into my bedroom.

I relaxed and we finished unpacking the rest of my stuff. When Alice turned to my closet and paused with her hand on the handle.

"Now, for the rest of your presents."

"Alice!"

"The apartment was from all of us. These are gifts from each of us." She defended.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. She then opened the door to a large closet filled with clothes and pulled out a large bag.

We sat on the bag and she gestured to the clothes and shoes in the closet. "Those are from me."

She dug into the bag and pulled out a large box. When I opened it I discovered a laptop. "That's from Edward. The makeup set and perfume are from Rosalie. The taser and pepper spray are from Emmett and the relaxing gift basket set is from Jasper."

She pointed towards to the envelope on my dresser. "That's from Carlisle and Esme. Wait till I leave then open it."

She got up and I knew it was time for her to go. I walked her to her car and when she hugged me, I didn't want to let go. I felt scared. For the first time in my life, I would be on my own and it scared me. I was crying again.

Alice broke our embrace, held me by the shoulders and looked me in the eyes. "Bella, everything will be fine. This is what you need. You're so brave. You can do this. If you ever need anything, Bella, don't hesitate to call. You're still our family and you'll always be my sister." Saying whatever she could, to calm me down.

I managed to muster up a smile. "And don't worry about Edward. He'll be fine. I'll make sure of it."

"Thanks, Alice." I sniffled.

Alice got a blank look in her eyes, which meant she just had a vision. "It's time for me to go. You should go upstairs and get settled. You'll meet your roommate in a few minutes." Then she mumbled something under her breath, that sounded a lot like, "I guess you meet him later…"

"Him? Him who?" I asked Alice but she was already sprinting to her car.

Alice jumped in and started up the engine. But before the evil little pixie drove off she smirked, "Oh, by the way, the grey Honda over there is yours. The keys are in the envelope too. Call me later. Bye." And with that she peeled out of the parking lot, completely oblivious to my cursing.

I shook my head and watched as she disappeared down the road. Oh, she was going to get an earful from me that night. With that thought I walked back into what would be my home for the next four years.

I went back to the apartment and called Charlie and Renee to let them know I got in all right. I decided to check out what was in the envelope from Carlisle and Esme. When I opened the envelope, I found keys, a letter, a credit card and bank account information with my name on it for a hundred thousand dollars. My legs gave out and I sat on my bed speechless. I opened the letter which read,

_Hello Bella,_

_Please accept this gift from our family to you. We know you spoke about getting a part time job, but we chose to set up this account and credit card for you instead. We want you to enjoy being a student and to have fun with your new friends. Your studies will be intense enough without having to worry about money. - Carlisle and Esme._

_I hope you love the clothes. You'll have lots of opportunity to wear them. Send pictures. – Alice._

_As I will not be there to help you relax, please use the gift set. It will help. – Jasper._

_You're already beautiful enough on your own but I got you a makeup set anyway. – Rosalie._

_Keep the pepper spray on you at all times and don't hesitate to use the taser gun. I'm only a phone call away. – Emmett._

_I hope you love the laptop. I placed copies of my lullaby on it, in case you ever have trouble getting to sleep. Send me lots of emails. I love you. - Edward._

I put the envelope and the contents in a drawer and decided to take another look around the apartment. Of course, my exploration took me to my roommate's bedroom. The walls were the same cream color as the rest of the apartment and her bedroom was much different from my own. I opened her closet to see if I could get an idea of her personality from what she wore. The many expensive looking, various colored clothes gave me the impression that I might have another Alice on my hands. I groaned out loud. _I would get Alice for this._

I closed her closet and continued to look around. I gathered my roommate was also a shoe person by the many pairs littered all over the room. I didn't open any drawers and I only got to look at one photograph of a beautiful woman, before the front door opened and closed, alerting me that my roommate had arrived.

I scampered out of the bedroom and tried to make it look as if I was just coming out of my own. But I guess my attempt was unsuccessful because as I rounded the corner to the living I was met with a pair of green amusement filled eyes. I knew I was caught.

She held out her hand, "Hi, I'm Elizabeth Reed and I'm guessing you're my roommate." Elizabeth was a leggy, curvy Spanish-looking woman with long, voluminous brown hair that cascaded over her shoulders. Her green eyes gave her an exotic look. She wore a red v-neck sweater, black jeans and black high heel boots. She was beautiful but it was okay because she was _human_ beautiful. This was the kind of beauty I could deal with.

"I'm Isabella Swan." Elizabeth looked me over as I shook her hand. She then pulled me over to the couch where we sat down.

She then turned to me. "So you were snooping?" If I even had a thought about lying, it was ruined by my tell tale blush.

"It's okay; I snooped around in your room too. Nice clothes, by the way." She laughed and I instantly felt better.

"So can I call you Izzy?" She beamed. Maybe it was time for a new nickname.

"Only if I can call you Liz?" I quipped. I liked her already.

"It's a deal then. We are going to be such good friends. I can tell."

"We'd better be, especially if we're going to live together for the next four years."

We talked for a while and I found out that her boyfriend, Ryan and her twin brother, Taylor had an apartment together in the building. They would all be attending Dartmouth together. Her brother and boyfriend had been best friends since junior high school. Elizabeth planned to major in Art History.

"So that's where you were earlier?"

"Yeah, I was helping them unpack their stuff. You'll meet them any minute now. So do you have a boyfriend?" She scrutinized me with her green eyes.

I winced. "No, I don't have a boyfriend. Not anymore." I glanced down at the charm bracelet on my wrist.

She followed my gaze and asked, "Was that from him?" She reached out and traced the wolf charm with her fingers.

"Yeah." I decided to change the subject. "So where are you guys from?"

"Boston. We all came here to get the hell away from our parents." She grimaced. I guess we all had things we were running from. "My boyfriend, Ryan, he's on the football team. He's a total jock and my brother used to be on the swim team in high school but he gave it up." She looked a little sad. I sensed there was a story there somewhere but I didn't want to pry. At least, not yet.

Elizabeth told me some funny stories about when Ryan and Taylor were younger. They once kidnapped the dog of a girl that used to pick on her and when the girl found out, she got her big brothers to beat the crap out of them. By the time she was finished telling me the story, we were rolling around on the couch laughing. She really had a twisted sense of humor.

Suddenly the front door banged open and two guys strolled in. The first one had brown eyes and black hair with tanned skin and a hulking 6'2 frame. I assumed that he was Ryan. He wore a green t-shirt and jeans and totally had the look of a party loving frat boy.

The guy behind him was a green eyed olive-skinned man with dense black hair. Taylor wasn't as tall as Ryan (around 6'1 ft.) but he had a very fit and athletic looking body. He had the look of a more serious minded guy. There was something about his eyes that made his gaze so intense. He was also wearing jeans but his t-shirt was black.

"About time you losers got here." Liz grabbed my hand and dragged me over to where they were standing.

"I want you guys to meet my roommate, Isabella Swan. Izzy for short. Izzy, this big goon here is my boyfriend, Ryan Sinclair." She pointed to him.

"Hey Izzy." His big booming voice and the mischievous glint in his eyes reminded me so much of Emmett. I smiled back and shook his outstretched hand.

"And the guy who won't stop _staring at you_ is my brother, Taylor." She laughed and of course, I blushed.

He smiled. "Hello Isabella. It's nice to meet you." He spoke with a slight Spanish accent as I shook his hand. I wondered how it was possible for him to have an accent when his sister did not. I almost corrected him when he called me Isabella but decided against it. I kind of like the way it sounded coming from him. Even though Taylor was gorgeous, I wasn't interested. The thought alone of kissing someone who wasn't Jacob, was unbearable.

We were sitting in the living room again. Liz was sitting with me on the love seat while Taylor and Ryan sat on the couch. I didn't realize I was off in Jacob-land again until Liz nudged me. "So what are you doing tonight?"

"Hmm… I was thinking of maybe staying home and watching a movie…" _Or maybe hiding in my room. _Taylor was staring at me again and it was making me nervous. It felt as if he was looking into my soul and I didn't need that. My soul needed to stay closed.

"Great idea. I'm in. I want to know more about you." Liz gushed.

_Oh great_. I turned to Ryan. "Is she always this forward?" I smirked.

"Yeah. Annoying isn't she?" he guffawed.

We spent the rest of the evening lying on the living room floor pigging out on potato chips, burgers (Liz ordered out) and soda. We really got to know each other. They asked me a bunch of questions about where I was from. I told them about Forks and my 'police chief' Dad and 'crazy' Mom. Ryan asked me about past boyfriends and I did my best to evade those questions. For the questions I was unable to dodge, I tried being vague. I decided to leave the Cullens out of the conversation for another time.

Gradually, I was warming up to everyone. Ryan was the jokester of the group and loved to tease me mercilessly. He would get along great with Emmett. As far as Ryan's major went, he was still undecided. Liz was the fashionable one, full of drama and excitement. I could tell that living with her would never be boring. Taylor was the passionate, intense one with a warped sense of humor to match his sister's. He wanted a career in anything to do with music. He also played guitar and had thoughts about starting a band. He promised to play for me sometime.

At some point I drifted off to sleep. When I woke up and glanced at the clock around 3 a.m. I was in my bed and much too sleepy to wonder who put me there. I rolled over and went back to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so Bella meets her new roommate and makes some new friends. My aim in this story is to introduce you to a newer, healthier Bella. Enjoy the story. Thanks for the reviews and alerts.**


	6. Not Interested

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not.**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

Chapter 6

I woke up the following morning to sounds of laughter and pots clanking. I rolled out of bed and ambled toward the window. The view of the New Hampshire woods was beautiful, but it was made even more so by the yellow glow of the sun. I loved waking up to sunlight streaming through my window.

I peeled off my clothes, went into the bathroom and got into the shower. I yelped when the cold water shocked the hell out of me but eventually it adjusted to a warmer degree and I was able to finish my shower. I wrapped a towel around me, brushed my teeth and went back into the bedroom to get dressed. I couldn't figure out what to wear. Back in Forks I never paid attention to what I wore but for the first time, I wanted to look nice. In the end I decided to go simple. I put on a white t-shirt and black jeans with sneakers and pulled my hair back into a ponytail.

I walked down the hallway and into the kitchen where Liz was threatening to pour bacon grease down Ryan's pants while Taylor was doubled over, laughing at them.

I raised an eyebrow and asked Taylor. "Do I even want to know?"

He handed me a plate with toast, bacon and eggs on it. "Don't worry; this is a daily thing with them." I shook my head as I took the plate from him and sat down at the kitchen table.

"Good morning, Izzy." Ryan sat down and began to shovel eggs into his mouth.

Liz sat next to Ryan, hitting him with a dish towel. "Forgive his manners, Izzy, he was raised by wolves."

I choked on my toast at that. Taylor raised an inquiring eyebrow. "I've seen worse." I said, thinking back to past breakfast mornings with the pack. I felt an ache in my chest just thinking about them. I missed them all.

Ryan eyed me. "Speaking of wolves. Did you know that you talk in your sleep?"

With my cheeks burning, I moaned, "Oh god. What did I say?"

Liz snickered. "Oh, nothing much. You were just going on and on about wolves and vampires. You really need to lay off the horror movies." She had no idea. I came here to do just that.

"Yeah." I mumbled and busied myself with my eggs.

"Hey, we want to go check out the campus today. Wanna come with?" Liz prodded.

No, what I really wanted to do was to crawl back to my room and call Jacob but that was out of the question. So I said, "Sure. Why not?" And tried to look enthusiastic about it.

We finished eating and I helped Liz with the dishes before we headed out in Ryan's SUV. Liz rode shot gun while I sat in the backseat with Taylor. She adjusted the radio dials and started singing along with Rhianna Umbrella song. I winced; even Rhianna song about the damn shining sun reminded me of Jacob. I wondered how I was going to get through this, when everything reminded me of what I was trying so hard to forget. I closed my eyes and tried to breathe through the pain.

"Are you okay, Izzy?" I glanced at Taylor to see him scrutinizing me.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. You looked a little sad." God, I wished he would stop paying attention to me.

"I'm not sad. Just a little tired, that's all." I turned my head to look out the window, hoping he wouldn't see the lie on my face. If Ryan and Liz heard us, they chose not to comment.

We parked on campus and got out of the car. The place had so many people walking around on the Green, headed to admissions or just generally goofing off. We walked around and checked out the Alumni Gymnasium, the libraries (I insisted), the football field (Ryan pleaded), the pool (Taylor charmed) and the art museum (Liz threatened). All in all, we did a lot of walking and my feet were killing me. So I was really glad when we stopped to eat in the Dining Hall.

"Man. Would you look at that guy? Banana boat time. He's talking to himself." Ryan pointed to a guy sitting three tables down from us.

Liz almost choked on her latte. "God, Ryan. Would you stop? The guy is not talking to himself."

"Oh yeah? Then why are his lips moving?" We looked over and sure enough his lips were moving.

"Maybe he's talking to someone." Taylor suggested.

"Like who, his invisible friend? The guy's sitting alone." Ryan pressed.

"Maybe he's singing." I offered, hiding my grin.

"Maybe he's nuts." Ryan frowned.

We looked over again. He did look a little creepy. The only real evil I had any experience with was the supernatural kind. But it wasn't the supernatural making the news every night. I suppressed a shiver.

"Maybe he_ is_ crazy." The guy didn't look like he was singing a song to me.

Ryan snapped his fingers and pointed at me. "See, Izzy thinks so too." Glad that he finally had an ally.

"Don't encourage him, Izzy." Taylor grinned at me.

"Yeah. Everybody Ryan sees is a potential serial killer." Liz quipped.

"Forget them, Izzy. You and I will be the only survivors after this guy goes all 'Norman Bates' on them." Ryan pouted. "I'm not going to end up being a lamp shade in that guy's house." The poor guy was annoyed the others weren't taking him seriously.

Liz interrupted our people watching. "This place is so cool! I can't wait for classes to start."

"I know what you mean." I couldn't wait to be much too busy to think about Jacob. Honestly, anything that could take my mind off Jacob I would welcome with open arms.

Liz leaned across the table in my direction. "Hey what do you think of that guy?"

I glanced around. "What guy?"

"The guy who hasn't taken his eyes off you ever since we got here." She whispered conspiratorially.

"W-What?" I sputtered. I didn't want to see who she was talking about.

"Yeah. He's kind of cute." That comment earned her a glare from Ryan. "What? You know you're hotter than he is." She rubbed his arm and his expression softened.

"Anyway, he's sitting behind you." Liz turned back to me. "He's cute, tall with dirty blonde hair and …Oh, and he's coming this way." She leaned away smiling like a mad woman. She was absolutely loving this.

I slouched in my seat, wishing I was invisible. Taylor was looking at me with amusement in his green eyes. I could tell he was not going to help me. Ryan was smiling sympathetically at me. Damn! None of the bastards were going to help me.

"Hello." I heard a deep voice behind me.

"Hello." I turned around to look and found myself looking at a pair of blue eyes. Liz was right. He _was_ cute.

"Is this seat taken?" He gestured to the empty chair next to me.

"No, it isn't." Liz piped up.

He sat down looking at me. "My name is Dillon Buchanon." He held his hand out.

I shook the offered appendage. "Isabella Swan. Izzy for short." The nickname was growing on me. I turned around and introduced the others. "This is Liz, Ryan and Taylor." I thought if I introduced the others, he would talk to them instead. I was wrong.

"Nice to meet you all." He smiled. _Not a bad smile at all_. "So how come I've never seen you guys around before?" He asked everyone but keep his eyes on me. Jeez, were all college men so predatory?

"We're freshmen." Liz was being so helpful today. I tried to kick her foot under the table but I kicked the metal stand instead. _Son of a bitch! Ouch my toe! _I bit my lip trying to hold back the tears.

Liz was still chatting with Dillon, completely oblivious to my agony but Ryan was aware and was working on trying to stifle his laughter. Taylor wasn't laughing at all. He was staring at Dillon with an unfathomable expression in his eyes.

"Well, I'm a sophomore. I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me sometime." Oh God.

"Well…I…um..." I floundered. "I'm sorry but I just got out of a…thing and I'm not really ready to date." I hoped he wasn't humiliated. It wasn't my intention to hurt his feelings either.

He wasn't the least bit deterred by my refusal. "No problem, Izzy. There's no rush at all. I hope to see you around more and when you _are_ ready to date again, I'll be right here." Well, he bounced back pretty fast and it didn't look like he was planning to give up either. _Why me?_

"Oh, all right." I really didn't know what to say to that.

Luckily, I was saved. At that time, a group of guys came into the Dining Hall looking for Dillon. He said his goodbyes and offered me another smile then left with them.

Liz smiled at me hopefully. "Well, I'd say that went well."

I glared at her. "And what part would that be? The part where I turned the guy down or the part where I've probably got a stalker now?"

"Oh please, don't act like you didn't think he was attractive. The guy is not a stalker." She rolled her eyes.

"He _is_ attractive but I'm just not interested." I shook and head and fidgeted with my hands.

"Look, I'm not saying you have to date the guy. You said you just broke up with your boyfriend. Well, it will help your self esteem to know that there are cute guys out there that want to date you. What do you think, Ryan?" She turned to him.

He looked thoughtful for a second. "It doesn't hurt to have options, Izzy. But I thought that Dillon guy was kind of rude."

"Rude? Why do you think that?" I was curious now. Liz and Taylor were too.

"I mean, he saw four of us sitting together. How did he know for sure Izzy and Taylor weren't together? I mean, either he thought they were just friends or he's just the kind of guy that would hit on a guy's girlfriend right in front of him." He shrugged his shoulders.

Wow. We all just looked at him. Leave it to Ryan to take it to another level. Taylor chose to say nothing.

"I don't know. I'm just saying what I thought. Hey let's get out of here and head back to the apartment. Classes start tomorrow and I don't want to spend my last day of freedom here." Ryan got up and wrapped an arm around Liz's shoulder as they walked outside. I trailed behind them with Taylor at my side.

I jumped when he spoke, low enough so only I would hear him. "Ryan's right you know. It doesn't hurt to have options." I looked at him, wondering what he meant. There was no amusement was in his eyes this time. He was serious.

"I guess." I mumbled and looked away again. We hopped back into the SUV and drove back to the apartment.

When we got back to the apartment, Ryan was hungry _again_ and in the mood for tacos. So we decided to make some ourselves.

We went into the kitchen and took out the ingredients. Taylor began to season the ground beef while Liz started dicing the vegetables. Ryan appointed himself supervisor but retired from that position quickly after Liz threatened him with her knife. His new job involved shutting up and grating the cheese. I took out a bowl and went to work shredding the lettuce.

After working in silence for a bit, Liz turned to me with green puppy dog eyes. "So are you still mad at me?"

I thought about it for a second. I wasn't really mad. I was mostly embarrassed. I sighed, "No, I'm not mad at you. It was just weird."

Liz frowned. "How was that weird? You're a hot girl, you have to get used to guys hitting on you. From what we've seen today, it's going to happen to you a lot." _Ah crap._

"You know, you never told us about why you broke up with your boyfriend." Ryan tugged on my ponytail.

I realized that they would just keep asking so I decided to give them the edited version of the story. I dug for something society would understand. "I broke up with him because we were just in different stages of our lives." Liz raised a questioning eyebrow. "He's still in high school." I rolled my eyes.

"Still in high school? How old is he?" Liz was shocked.

I blushed. "He's sixteen." I wasn't ashamed of Jacob's age. He always acted more mature than most adult men I knew.

"Way to go, Mrs. Robinson!" Ryan had a big goofy smile on his face. Liz was next to me in an instant and Taylor was wearing his usual amused expression.

"I knew it! I knew there was a wild woman in there somewhere!" Liz was practically salivating.

"Oh man. You were dating jail bait." I slapped Ryan's hand away when he tried to fist bump me. God, I was so embarrassed.

I tried to defend myself. "Shut up, Ryan. He doesn't look sixteen." That was the wrong thing to say.

Ryan was almost on the ground howling with laughter. "That sounds like something a predator would say. Next, we'll see you cruising around playgrounds looking for your next victim." Liz was in tears at this point and making no effort to hide her laughter. Taylor was laughing and using the counter to keep himself upright. _Wow, Taylor had a beautiful smile._

I was outnumbered, so I did the only thing I could do. I grabbed a handful of shredded lettuce and threw it at Ryan and a food fight broke out. Ryan threw some grated cheese at me, but I ducked and it hit Liz in the face. She threw lettuce at Ryan and hit Taylor. Taylor grabbed the chopped vegetables threw some at me. It was crazy. Liz ran out of lettuce and decided to throw flour instead. I went to grab some cheese, slipped on a piece of tomato and took Taylor down with me. That was the end of the food fight.

We were all laughing so much. I realized that this was the first time I had laughed like this in a long time. I felt carefree and _happy._

Taylor helped me up while Ryan and Liz went to her room to clean up. I surveyed the damage and declared the kitchen a disaster area. Taylor stood behind me picking cheese and olives out of my hair when he leaned forward and put his lips by my ear. "You are a very intriguing woman, Isabella."

I shivered involuntarily and I think I felt goose bumps on my eyeballs. Before I could think of a way to respond, I heard Ryan coming down the hallway and I jumped away from Taylor.

"Hey guys, I think we should just order take out instead, so maybe …" He trailed off as his eyes landed on my red face. "Hey Izzy, what's going on?" His eyes darted between me and Taylor.

"Nothing. I was going to clean up in my room." And I made a hasty exit without making eye contact with Taylor.

I went to my room, took off my dirty clothes and got into the shower. As I washed my hair with my strawberry shampoo, I thought at Taylor. The guy made me nervous. I wasn't sure why though. Maybe it was the intense stares. His eyes saw way too much for my liking. I decided to push those thoughts away as I finished my shower.

I put on my robe and sat on my bed towel drying my hair when I heard a knock at my door. "Come in."

Liz poked her head in. "Hey, do you mind if I hang out here? The guys went to their place to get cleaned up."

"Sure." I decided that now would be the best time to get some info on Taylor. Liz came in and lay across my bed. I turned to her, sitting Indian style at the foot of the bed. "So why does your twin brother have an accent and you don't?"

"When we were little, our parents split up and our Mom took Taylor with her when she went back to Spain. He lived there with her until he was ten." She looked pained.

"What happened?" I had a feeling it wasn't good.

"She died." Liz was tracing an invisible pattern on my blanket.

"I'm sorry, Liz." I rubbed her shoulder.

She sniffed. "It's okay. It happened a long time ago." Suddenly her mood changed from somber to nosey. "So this ex-boyfriend of yours. What was his name?"

I looked at her, amazed at her ability to flip through emotions like that. I envied her that. "His name was Jacob…Jacob Black." I closed my eyes and let the pain wash over me. Even though it hurt to say his name out loud, I wasn't going to bottle up my feelings and start referring to Jacob as _him, _like I once did with Edward.

I opened my eyes to see Liz looking at me. "So do you have a picture of him? Can I see it?"

I nodded and reached over to the nightstand next to my bed and removed the lone picture I had of us from the drawer. I handed it to her.

She looked at the picture and whistled. "You said he didn't look like sixteen and you were right. He looks much older and hot too." She handed me back the picture.

"Yeah and he acted much older too." I replied, looking at it. I felt myself getting sad again and took a deep breath. I wouldn't allow myself to cry now. There would be lots of time for tears later that night.

Liz gave me a sad smile. "I'm sorry. I know you're still hurting but I think you did the right thing breaking it off now. Long distance relationships almost never work out. If Ryan and I had to go to different colleges, I would've done the same thing. Just don't close yourself off to new things, Izzy. You never know when you'll meet the next love of your life." She patted my arm.

I snorted. "The next love of my life? Not interested." As if I could put myself through all that misery again. Love? No thanks.

**

* * *

AN: I'm working on creating a healthier Bella before her return to Forks. BTW I put up links to pics of my characters Liz, Taylor and Ryan. Have a peek. Thanks for the reviews and the alerts.**


	7. Like Family

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

Chapter 7

Classes started off with a bang. I was late to my first few classes because I kept getting lost. Even though we visited the campus before classes began, it seemed even bigger now that I had to walk around it alone. The classes were much larger than the ones in high school, with at least 100 students per class. There was no pressure from professors to attend classes or to do assignments. It was completely up to you whether you flunked out or not. To the professors we were adults, completely responsible for ourselves and what we chose to do with our time. The students were all so diverse in race, personality and morals. I'd never been around people like that before and it was so refreshing.

The gang (as I affectionately called them)and I tried to meet each other in between classes on campus but usually we were so busy that the only time we got to hang out was at the apartment. We made it tradition to have breakfast and dinner together. We felt like a real family. For that I was glad. Liz was like a sister, Ryan a big brother and Taylor… well I had trouble trying to figure out what box to put him in. So I just labeled him one of my best friends and confidante. He was kind, considerate and a great listener. I even got used to his constant staring.

On mornings before class I got up an hour earlier to exercise and go jogging with Liz. I remember the first morning she assaulted me into going with her.

(_Flash back_)

_I was peacefully asleep in my bed when I was awakened by a painful slap on my butt._

"_Ow! What the hell?" I rolled over to see Liz standing next to my bed with her hands on her hips, trying to look stern._

"_Wakey wakey, Izzy. You're going jogging with me." I sat up and noticed she was dressed in a light blue t-shirt and navy blue shorts. She had her hair pulled back into a ponytail._

"_Jogging, Liz? Come on, you know I'm a colossal klutz. I'd probably end up breaking my neck in a fall." I collapsed back on the bed, convinced that that was the end of it. But I was wrong._

_She let out an annoyed sigh. "Why do you keep saying that? How are you a klutz? I've only seen you trip twice since you moved here." I thought about that for a moment. I hardly tripped at all since coming here but in Forks not a day would go by when I didn't fall, trip or break something. I began to wonder how much my being clumsy had to do with people always telling me that I was clumsy. But still _jogging_?_

"_But Liz, I'm tired." I whined._

_She whined right back. "Oh come on, Izzy. Go jogging with me. Ryan and Taylor won't go and it's not safe to jog alone. Besides when you jog you produce endorphins and they make you feel good. I wanna feel good, Izzy." She stomped her foot and pouted. _

_I smirked. "I would have thought you had enough of feeling good last night." She and Ryan were at it _again _last night. The first time I heard them, I couldn't make eye contact with either one of them the day after. After that I invested in ear plugs._

_Liz grinned. She was completely unashamed. "Yeah, that was great. Speaking of feeling good. When was the last time you had some good feelings?" Her green eyes glinted mischievously._

_I blushed and changed the subject. "You know what? I'll come jogging with you." I got up and fled into the bathroom to get changed._

_(End flash back)_

I saw Dillon around campus and talked to him a few times. He was a nice guy and a whole lot easier to get along with when he wasn't asking me out. He reminded me a little of Mike Newton.

I called Charlie and Renee often. Charlie and I were both careful not mention Jacob even though I wanted to ask and he wanted to talk about him. He talked about Billy and work. I felt a little sad for him. It didn't seem like he had a lot going on in his life. He promised me he was making a real attempt to eat better.

I spoke to Alice and the Cullens frequently. I made Alice promise to stop her 'looking', as far as my future was concerned. I tolerated it when Edward and I were together but now it felt like an invasion of my privacy. As promised I emailed Edward a lot. After our break up, he spent three months with the Denali clan. But now he was back with the family and doing better. Even though it was hard on him, we were slowly becoming friends.

It was over a month after coming to Dartmouth that I finally gained the courage to call Leah. I was alone in the apartment that night. Liz and Ryan went on to dinner and a movie. I didn't know where Taylor was. I assumed he had a date. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed her number. I sat on the couch and waited for her to pick up.

Leah answered in her typically disgruntled voice. "Hello?"

"Hi Leah, it's Bella."

"Well, well. Look who it is. So how's it going, college chick?"

"It's going all right. How are things with you?"

"You know same old, same old. Still stuck here watching my cousin play house with my ex-boyfriend." Her sarcasm still stung but I could feel the hurt in her words.

"I'm sorry, Leah. That must really suck." Once again, I was reminded of how much better off I was.

Her voice softened a bit. "You know, you're the first person … well other than Sam and Emily, that ever apologized for what happened to me. I know you have nothing to be sorry for but it's still nice to hear." I couldn't believe no one else ever said that they were sorry about what happened to her, before. No wonder she was so angry all the time. I decided to change the subject.

I dove right in. "So how's Jacob doing?"

Leah sighed. "He's doing better now that he's back home."

I sat up. "Back home? What do you mean?"

"You mean you didn't know? After you left Jacob took off for a while." She was genuinely surprised I didn't know about Jacob.

Oh god. What did I do to him? "Where was he? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine, calm down. After you left, he stayed in wolf form and ran all the way to Canada. He was gone for three weeks. But don't worry, he's back now."

I closed my eyes feeling relieved. "How come Charlie didn't tell me? Who took care of Billy when he was gone?"

"Well, Billy covered with Charlie and told him Jacob was away at some Native American coming of age thing. And the pack chipped in and took turns helping Billy out."

"Leah, be honest. How is he, really?" I needed to know how he felt.

Her voice was sad. "He misses you, Bella. Sometimes the pain is too much for the pack and we can't stand to be phased the same time he is. Sam is the only one who can bear to be phased with him when he gets like that." I felt the pain, I'd been holding at bay since the day I left, clawing at my chest. It was my fault he was hurting. I broke his heart. I couldn't even attempt to hide my pain from Leah as I sobbed.

"Leah, tell me I'm doing the right thing. Please, I need to hear you say it." I pleaded with her. I felt as if I was drowning in despair.

"You're doing the right thing, Bella. I'll say it as many time as you need me to. You made the right choice. It **will** get easier, you'll see. " She told me forcefully, trying to make me believe in my choice.

I felt like a little girl again. I needed someone to tell me that everything would be okay. "You promise?" I asked in a small childlike voice.

"Yeah, I promise. So tell me about your roommate." Gratefully she changed the subject.

I told her about the gang and classes. Despite everything I was enjoying college.

"I started classes at Peninsula Community College a month ago. I'm really enjoying them." She sounded a little happy.

"Really? That's real good news, Leah. I'm happy for you." I was glad that Leah was enjoying something. She deserved some happiness in her life.

"Speaking of happy. That was some going away present you gave ole Jakey boy." I could hear the grin in Leah's voice.

"Oh my God! Leah!" I was mortified. The entire pack must have seen what happened between Jacob and me the night before I left. I could feel all of the blood in my head rushing to the surface of my skin. This was so humiliating.

"Relax, Bella. I was just teasing." She smirked. "Lighten up. From what I saw you have nothing to be embarrassed about. I was just poking fun at you. It's what friends do." I was still embarrassed but the some of the warmth I felt now was from her calling me friend.

"Thanks, Leah." I smiled.

"Sure. Call me again, okay. I wanna hear about your college hook ups." She laughed.

"Sure thing, Leah. Talk to you later." We said our goodbyes then hung up.

I sat on the couch with the phone in my hand, thinking about the conversation I just had with Leah. Jacob was so hurt and I missed him. I wished I could call him, just to hear his voice.

I was beginning to feel sad again when I heard the jingle of keys in the front door. I wiped at my eyes and glanced at the clock. I knew it was too early for Liz and Ryan to be back from their date. I looked up, surprised to see Taylor coming through the door with a pizza and DVDs in his hand.

"Hey…Isabella? What's wrong?" The smile on his face faded at my teary-eyed appearance.

I did my best to smile reassuringly. "Nothing, I'm fine." I flinched. My voice didn't sound the least bit convincing.

Taylor put the pizza and movies on the living room table and came to sit with me on the couch. He took the phone out of my hands, set it aside and took both my hands in his. "It doesn't look like nothing."

I sighed and rolled my eyes, knowing he wouldn't let it go until I told him. "I just called a friend back home. My ex Jacob, he isn't handling the break up so well. It's just hard. I wish this was easier on him."

Taylor gave me a sympathetic smile then pulled me into a hug wrapping his arms around me. I knew he was, without words trying to tell me that it would be okay. I buried my face in his muscular chest and Taylor tucked my head under his chin. It felt nice to be held again. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He smelt of aftershave and chlorine. _Chlorine?_ It was oddly comforting.

I pulled away to look at him. "Hey what are you doing here? I thought you had a date." A few times, every week Taylor disappeared for a couple of hours. I never asked Liz or Ryan about it but I assumed he was dating.

His eyebrows wrinkled in confusion. "Date? Who said I had a date?"

"No one did. I just assumed you had a date. Where did you disappear then?" It was my turn to be confused.

A smile broke out on his face then, displaying his perfect white teeth. "That, Isabella, is a secret. One day I'll reveal it to you." I shook my head. Taylor really loved being mysterious at times. "I knew you'd be alone tonight, so I thought we could watch a movie and have some pizza."

I smiled, feeling grateful. He really was a great friend.

I went into the kitchen to get us some plates and soda. When I came back, Taylor was sitting on the floor in front of the television holding up two movies. "So what do you want to watch? I've got The Hills Have Eyes 2 or Knocked Up."

There was no way I was watching the horror movie. "I prefer to be able to sleep tonight, so I'll go with Knocked Up. I could use a laugh tonight."

He put the movie on and came back to the couch to sit next to me. We quickly tore into the pizza while we watched the movie. When we were finished eating, Taylor slung an arm around my shoulder and I laid my head on his shoulder while we watched the rest of the movie. It was surprisingly funny and we were cracking up so much that I forgot about my previous bout of melancholy.

After the movie Taylor helped me wash the dishes and put away the leftovers. We returned to the living room where I sat on the couch reading a book assignment while Taylor watched the sports channel.

It wasn't long before Liz and Ryan came home from their date. Apparently, they had gotten themselves thrown out of the movie theatre for lewd behavior. Taylor and I laughed as they recounted the story of how they were 'perp walked' out of the theatre by security. I felt so content; they were all really like family.

* * *

Winter in Hanover was ridiculously cold or bitchin cold, as Liz eloquently put it. I didn't go home for Christmas break. Charlie was disappointed but I knew he would spend the holidays with Billy and Jacob. He wouldn't be alone. I, on the other hand, was fully prepared to spend the holidays alone in the apartment but was surprised to learn that none of the gang planned to go home either. Taylor and Liz had a difficult relationship with their father and Ryan wasn't going home because his parents didn't like Liz. He would go wherever Liz went.

So we spent the holidays together. Ryan and Taylor drove out to the Christmas tree farm to pick out a tree while Liz and I went shopping for decorations. We returned home and everyone helped decorate the tree while Christmas music played in the background. Liz and I baked Christmas cookies and despite the mistletoe incident that happened between Taylor and me, we all had fun.

We decided to do the secret Santa thing and get gifts for one person instead of getting gifts for everyone. I got the feeling I was set up because Liz and Ryan ended up with each others names while Taylor and I got were paired off. Later, a giggling Liz and a grabby Ryan slinked away to his apartment to give each other their _gifts._

I gave Taylor my present. It was leather bound musical journal. "I thought you could use this." I blushed lightly. He was always walking around with scraps of paper that held his songs and music so I got him a journal to help him organize his thoughts.

His green eyes lit up in pleasant surprise. "Thank you, Isabella, I'll cherish this always." He set it aside. "And now for your present. I know you don't like expensive gifts, so I went with something a little low key."

He got up and walked toward the Christmas tree and removed a guitar from behind it. He went to sit on the couch while I stayed where I was on the floor.

He positioned the guitar and strummed the chords. "Remember I promised to sing for you. I wrote you a song."

He began to play and I was drawn to his beautiful voice.

_Yesterday is a wrinkle on your forehead.  
Yesterday is a promise that you've broken.  
Don't close your eyes, don't close your eyes.  
This is your life and today is all you've got now  
Yeah, and today is all you'll ever have.  
Don't close your eyes.  
Don't close your eyes._

_This is your life, are you who you want to be?  
This is your life, are you who you want to be?  
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be?  
When the world was younger and you had everything to lose._

_Yesterday is a kid in the corner.  
Yesterday is dead and over._

_This is your life, are you who you want to be?  
This is your life, are you who you want to be?  
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be?  
When the world was younger and you had everything to lose._

_Don't close your eyes.  
Don't close your eyes.  
Don't close your eyes.  
Don't close your eyes._

_This is your life are you who you want to be?  
This is your life are you who you want to be?_

_This is your life, are you who you want to be?  
This is your life, are you who you want to be?  
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed it would be.  
When the world was younger and you had everything to lose._

_And you had everything to lose._

Taylor finished playing and I was so shocked. I had no idea he was so talented. I applauded and he smiled. I was well aware of the fact that my face was now crimson in color. "Wow, Taylor. You have a beautiful voice."

He laid the guitar on the couch. "I'm glad you like it but sometimes I worry about you, Izzy."

"You worry about me? Why?" I felt a nervous twinge in my stomach.

He came to sit next to me on the floor. "Sometimes you seem happy but there are times when you go away to a place inside your mind and I can see the sadness in your eyes. I know there are things in your past you haven't told us about but that's okay, Izzy. I want you to know that I…we love you like family and we'll always be here for you. Whenever you're ready to talk about it." He finished his heartfelt speech and held his breath waiting for my reaction.

I stared at him, amazed yet again. I couldn't believe they all knew I had deliberately left out parts of my past. They were all very perceptive, especially Taylor. He was the least talkative out of the bunch but whenever he spoke, it was always something worth hearing.

I smiled. "Thanks, Taylor." He smiled in response.

We lay on the floor and let ourselves be lost in our thoughts as we stared up at the Christmas tree lights. Even though I couldn't have the life I wanted, I would make the best of the life I had now.

* * *

**A/N: The song Taylor sang is from Switchfoot and called This is your Life. **

**Now I'm going to attempt the impossible with you readers but I won't say what I'm attempting to do I'm I'll let you know.  
**

**Things get dangerous in the next chapter. If you want your chapter sooner you know what you have to do. Review.  
**


	8. Fight

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick. Thanks for letting me bounce ideas off you.  
**

Chapter 8

"Have you guys heard about the asshole that's been going around attacking women?" Ryan's voice broke through the silence.

It was the last semester of our freshman year and we were holding a study/cramming session at the boys' apartment. We were all sitting on the floor in the living room with various books and study material scattered around us.

I glanced up from my laptop. Ryan's expression was a worrying one.

"Yeah, I heard about that too. I want you girls to be careful when you're out alone." Taylor eyed me and Liz seriously.

"What guy?" Liz wanted to know and hell so did I.

"There's some pervert going around beating and raping women. In the last month, he attacked four women. The fourth one died in the hospital. So you girls be careful." Ryan responded.

Liz and I shared a worried glance until she burst out laughing. However, her laughter died away at the expression on his face. Liz tended not to take anything Ryan said seriously. He was a paranoid guy. But it wasn't his paranoia talking this time. There really was a maniac on the loose.

For the first time, I was glad that Liz made me go with her to those self defense classes months ago. I remember laughing it off when she first brought it up after seeing a self defense flyer on campus.

Then I remembered all the times in the past when I felt weak and helpless. I hated always having to depend on the protection of others. I brought up the classes the last time I spoke with Leah and she thought it was a great idea. So the next time Liz talked about the classes, I agreed to go with her. I decided it was time I learned to defend myself.

When the classes began, I had a lot of problems with sore muscles in my back and arms. Luckily, I had Taylor around to take pity on me and give me back rubs. Ryan's idea of helping Liz and me prepare for attacks included hiding in and jumping of closets, crawling out from under beds and springing out of _trash cans_. He was being pretty ridiculous. The only thing he succeeded in doing was scaring us half to death. He finally stopped after he surprised Liz one day and she kicked him in what he called, his 'babies'.

I felt a little sorry for Ryan. Liz was already pretty scary when he got her mad. Now she would actually be able to rough him up whenever he did something stupid which was, let's face it, all the time. Although they fought constantly, I was a little envious of their relationship. Whenever they weren't engaged in battle there were kisses, loving glances and based on what I heard coming out Liz's bedroom at night, a great sex life. They had it all. I wished for what they had, a love uncomplicated by magic and madness. I guess I felt a little lonely.

Another person joined our family in my freshman year. His name was Zachary Gray. He was a Native American guy I became friends with from my study group. I remember the first time he introduced himself to me; I could barely stop myself from staring at him. The first few weeks I was sure that he thought I had some sort of crush on him. His russet skin and warm smile reminded me so much of Jacob and the pack.

Zach never knew his father and his mother died when he was a child, so he was raised by his sister. He got along great with Ryan because of his mischievous personality. I wasn't sure why but it took a little longer for Taylor to warm up to Zach. I assumed Taylor had trouble trusting people. It didn't take too long for them to bond though and when they did, it seemed like they had known each other for years. When Liz first met him she kept trying to push us together. After much pleading from me she finally decided to let it go. _Much to my relief_.

Zach and I were in the library with our study group on a Friday night when I glanced at the clock and realized it was almost nine o'clock.

"Oh shoot." I mumbled softly.

Zach looked up from his book with a frown on his face. "What?"

"It's almost nine. I'm late for movie night with the guys. I better get a move on. Okay guys, I'll see you tomorrow." I said goodbye to the group and began to pack up my books. I grabbed my bag and got to my feet.

"Hey Izzy, wait up. I'll walk out with you." Zach grabbed his books and got to his feet also.

We walked out the library. "So are you coming with me tonight?" I opened my car door and tossed my books and bag onto the seat.

Zach grinned and wriggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Nah, I'll see you guys tomorrow. I have a date tonight, so I'm heading back to my dorm room to get ready."

I raised my eyebrows and smiled back. "Oh? Anybody I know?"

"Nah, I don't think so but wish me luck. I'm hoping to have a _very_ good night. If you know what I mean." He gave me a lecherous grin and walked away.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. Ugh! Zach was just as perverted as Ryan. It's no wonder they got along so well.

I hopped into my car and headed for home.

Half an hour later I pulled up to the guard booth and waved to Sam, the night guard.

"Hey Sam. How's it going?" I slowed down.

"Not too bad, kiddo. I'm just about to head over to the center to get myself a coffee. Have a nice night." He closed the door to the booth and walked in the direction of the center.

"You too, Sam." I decided to park in the building's basement parking lot to avoid the birds crapping on my car.

I grabbed my books and swung my bag over my shoulder. I took about three steps away from the car before my cell phone rang. I dug in my bag and answered it.

"Hey Isabella. Where are you?" I rolled my eyes as I heard Taylor's voice.

"I'm in the basement walking to the elevator now. What's up?" I asked, trying to juggle everything in my hands. I had too much stuff.

"Just wanted to let you know we're watching the movie over at our place tonight so you could come straight here. Ryan broke the DVD player in your apartment. Don't ask." He sounded mildly irritated.

"What did he do th-?"

I didn't get to finish my question before I felt an explosion of pain in the back of my head. I fell face first hitting the ground hard and everything in my hands went flying. The wind got knocked out of me and I struggled to breath. I felt hands grab at my blouse rolling me over on my back. The pain in my head was unbearable as I tried to make out the features of my attacker. All I could see was a shadowy figure of a man.

I shook my head trying to clear my blurry vision.

"Hey there, hot stuff. You and I are going to have a little fun. Let's go to a place a little more private." I screamed then. He leaned over me and I felt another burst of pain as his fist connected with my face.

My eyes rolled back in my head. I felt so tired as I struggled to fight the approaching darkness. Some of my consciousness snapped back to me as I realized I was being dragged across the parking lot floor by my feet. Terror made my throat close up as I realized that this was the mad man from the news. I couldn't breathe. I was going to die. There was no one to save me this time. No one would be coming to my rescue.

Realization dawned on me again; he was dragging me toward his car. I knew that if he got me into his car it would be over for me. I would die. After surviving vampires and werewolves I would be murdered by a human and all because he wanted to rape me. It was pathetic. I felt my rage growing and I grabbed on to it using it to fuel my energy. If he wanted to rape me he would have to kill me first. Then I heard Leah's voice.

_Bella, you have to fight._

I began to kick, struggle and scream. I think I must have surprised him because his grip slipped and I rolled to my feet and shot up running. I didn't get very far before he caught up with me grabbing me by the hair. He swung me by my hair and threw me to the floor again. I landed on my back and felt my head smack the concrete.

"I was hoping to take this elsewhere but this will have to do." He sounded eerily calm. Almost as if this was an everyday occurrence for him.

He grabbed me by the hair again and dragged me a short distance behind another car. He straddled my waist and when I tried to scream again he slapped me hard across the mouth. I wanted to cry. I wanted to beg but I bit my tongue instead refusing to give the bastard the satisfaction. As I tasted my blood, I heard him tear my blouse open.

"Quiet, you slut. You know you want this. You can kick and scream all you want but this is going to happen."

I couldn't fight anymore as I felt the darkness threatening to take me again. I heard Leah's voice again and this time she was really pissed.

_Damn it, Bella! Don't give up. Do you want to die? Fight!_

My eyes snapped open with new determination. This was not going to happen to me. I wouldn't let it. I refused to let myself be forever scarred and traumatized by this bastard.

I lay there trying to look helpless, whimpering as he struggled with the waist of my jeans. I wanted to look as if I had given up. As he muttered a curse, I thanked God for Liz and her insistence that I wear tight skinny jeans to as she put it, show off my peaches. His fingers dug into my waist as he tried to pull my pants down.

I tried to think of a primary target place I could attack that would disable him. I wanted to kick him in the groin but from his position on top of me, I would only have access to his face.

I prayed a silent prayer in my mind, asking God to give me the strength to do what I had to do. I wasn't planning on punching him in the face. That would only annoy him and hurt me more than it would him. I would have a chance if I could get a shot at his nose.

I curled my fingers and tucked my thumb against my hand. He wasn't looking at me. He was too busy fighting a losing battle with my pants. I had to get his attention. I felt a chuckle trickle out of my mouth and in a voice I hardly recognized as my own I taunted him, "Hey asshole."

As he raised his head to look at me, he gave me the opening I needed. I quickly leaned forward and drove the heel of my palm into his nose as hard as I could. I screamed in triumph and disgust when I heard the sickening crunch as his nose broke. I felt his nose give under my hand followed by a warm wetness. His blood ran down my hand. My stomach lurched, threatening to relieve its contents. As I pulled my hand back I felt a pain in my wrist. He roared in agony, fell off of me and onto his butt, holding his face.

I knew I had to attack again before he had the chance to recover so I raised my foot and delivered a kick right between his legs, to his crotch. I was rewarded with another roar of pain. Now he was rolling around on the floor, grabbing at his face and crotch.

I crawled away from him slowly and in the direction of my bag some meters away. I had to get to my taser gun. As I got to my bag and began to dig through it, I could hear him cursing about how he was going to kill me.

I grabbed the taser gun and stumbled to my feet. The room spun around me and I shook my head trying to clear the black spots I saw in front of my eyes. I pointed the taser gun at him but I hesitated to shoot it. I'd never purposely hurt another living being in my life. I began to feel sorry for the man on the floor in front of me, until I remembered what he tried to do to me. I remembered what he did to those other women and I felt my rage return. Edward and Jacob weren't the monsters they thought they were. The man in front of me was a monster in its truest form.

He spat blood in my direction and hissed, "You whore. You're gonna pay for doing that. They won't even find your body when I'm through with you. I make you hurt, I'll make you pay."

I heard Leah's voice laughing viciously.

_That was the wrong thing to say, asshole. Take him down, Bella._

It was him or me. I pulled the trigger and watched as two long wires shot out of the nozzle. They attached themselves to his shirt and delivered an electric stock to his body. His scream echoed off the walls in agony again as his body convulsed. His body shook like he was having a seizure. Afterward, he lay on the floor in a puddle of his urine twitching.

I dropped the gun and spun around on my heels to run. I had to get out of there. The darkness was coming back again and I didn't have enough strength to fight it anymore. Not this time. The pain in my head was unbearable and I could barely see. I think there was blood in my eyes and I was exhausted. But I forced myself to stumble on, not wanting to pass out next to my attacker and give him the chance to finish what he started. I concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other.

I heard screaming and voices but they seemed so far away. I saw shadows of people in the distance but I couldn't distinguish their faces. Everything around me was blurry. The people got closer and I realized that the voices were calling my name. The voices knew me. Suddenly the room tilted and gentle yet strong hands caught me as I fell. I looked up and saw the furious but concerned green eyes of Taylor looking back at me.

Taylor's arms tightened around me. "Isabella…" His voice broke as he said my name. His lips continued to move but I couldn't hear anything he said. I couldn't hear anything at all.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything but nothing came out. I closed my eyes and let the darkness take me.

* * *

**A/N: I decided to put this chapter up one day sooner. I've planned to update on Fridays but there are times when I'll post a chapter early.**

**Thanks to all my reviewers. Seriously you guys rock!**

**The next chapter will be in someone else's POV. Sorry jul5857 it isn't Jacob's but don't worry his POV is coming up soon enough.**

**If you guys want your chapter before next Friday you know what to do. Review.  
**


	9. Until I met her

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

* * *

Chapter 9

Taylor's POV

How the hell did we get to this point? We were all so happy but now we were sitting in a hospital waiting room, waiting anxiously for any news on Isabella. When we arrived at the hospital with her unconscious form, they whisked her away to get a MRI. From what I overheard, they wanted to rule out bleeding or any other injury involving her brain.

I glanced over at my sister. She had Ryan's hand in a death grip. She was so afraid for Isabella. I knew Liz was thinking the same thing we all were. _We should have been there._ Ryan called Zach when we got to the hospital and he was on his way. I leaned back in my seat and laid my head on the wall behind me, thinking about the events of my life that had led me to this place.

My mother, Catalina was a very beautiful woman. She was a tall, curvy, bronzed skinned woman with long wavy hair and dark brown eyes. My sister and I resemble her mostly. The only thing we inherited from our father was his green eyes. It was her beauty that attracted the attention of men everywhere but none more so than Walter Reed, my father. He came to Spain with a group of friends for the Carnival celebration. They met outside the restaurant her family owned near the beach. For three weeks, they had a whirlwind romance and when it was over he asked her to go back to America with him. Her parents tried to warn her against going with him. They took one look at my father and instantly disliked what they saw. He was American, spoiled, wealthy and cocky but she loved him, so they let her go. They couldn't have stopped her even if they tried, she was an adult. I never heard the entire story and my mother refused to talk about what happened to her in America. All I learned from my uncle was that as soon as they arrived in America they were married but two years later she returned home with only one of her children and a broken heart.

For the next eight years, my mother and I lived with her family. Our house was always full of arguing, laughter and tears for every occasion. I grew up surrounded by grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. They were always so loud, boisterous and their faces so expressive. I guess that was why I never said much. In a house full of talkers, I couldn't get a word in edge wise sometimes. For the most part my mother was happy but at times she would get a sad look in her eyes and everyone would know she was thinking about my father. She made it her business to call to check up on my sister every week. On birthdays my mother sent her gifts, cards and pictures. In return my father sent her my sister's drawings, pictures and made sure Liz could call us whenever she wanted. I got to know my sister through letters and phone calls. He never sent Liz to visit us and I didn't want to go visit him. I wanted to see my sister but I had no desire to visit a place that had hurt my mother so badly.

I didn't miss having a father. I had more than enough father figures in the family to take me to bullfights, to watch fireworks with and slip me sips of wine when my mother wasn't looking. I also had plenty of mother figures to stuff me with food, to teach me how to dance and take me to music competitions and recitals. So you see I was happy. But happiness never lasts forever.

Over the years my mother would occasionally get sick. At first she would get fevers and chills that she would just brush of as the common flu. Then later she was always tired, hardly ever ate, complaining that she already felt full but she was losing weight. They finally convinced her to go the hospital after she doubled over in agony while working at the restaurant one day. The doctors told us she had aggressive stage 4 lymphoma and that the disease had already spread to her bones and nervous system. My mother already knew she was sick. She just hid it from us. It was too late. They gave her two months.

People believe that young boys idolize their fathers but that wasn't true for me. My entire world revolved around my mother. I suppose you could have said I was a mama's boy. When you're told that the most important person in your life is dying, it terrifies you. Although I didn't have that much experience with death, I knew what it meant. From then on I was with her constantly. I was terrified that the moment she was out of my sight would be the time she'd die.

I've always been able to tell when something bad was going to happen. Call it a sixth sense, if you will but I could always predict when a bad change was coming. The air would be still, everything would get quiet and I would feel a tingle in the back of my neck. I got that feeling before my grandfather had his heart attack. I got the same feeling before my Aunt Maria's restaurant burnt down and I felt it again the day my mother died.

I sat with her and held her cold hand even though some of my relatives didn't want me to see her. She didn't look like the same person and wasn't able to get out of bed anymore. She drifted in and out of consciousness. Her breathing was irregular, with long gaps in between gradually becoming slower until there was none. After it was over, I crawled into bed with her sang her favorite song.

I have little memory of the days before my mother's funeral. My mind was in a constant fog. All I could think about was things she'd never do again like smile, sing or dance with me. People tried to talk to me but I couldn't hear their voices. All I could hear was my mother's voice as she told me she loved me for the last time. I didn't want anything, except to be left alone.

I remember standing at her grave side watching as they lowered her coffin into the ground when I felt a hand hold mine. I looked over to see the identical, tear filled eyes of my sister looking back at me. I wondered how long she had been standing there next to me. There was a man standing next to her. He was tall, slim built with brown hair and the same green eyes I had. I realized that the man was my father. He looked a little different from the photos, he looked older. He and my sister were there for the funeral. I could see the grief etched in his face. It was almost enough to make me feel sorry for him. _Almost_.

The day after the funeral, my father and sister came to visit the house where I lived with what was left of my family. Liz and I sat outside on the steps in silence, listening to my father arguing with my family about my coming to live with him. In the end there was nothing that they could have done. My mother was dead, so he now had full custody. Later on that night my family sat me down and tearfully explained what I already knew. The next day I would be leaving them to go live in America with my sister and the man who'd hurt my mother. Not only did I lose my mother, I was also going to lose the only family I'd ever known and all because of my father. I knew he had nothing to do with my mother's death but I still disliked him. Why would he want to take me away from my family? He was nothing but selfish.

The plane and subsequent chauffeur driven ride to my new home was mostly done in silence. My father didn't try to talk to me and Liz knew I didn't want to talk. While we drove through the upscale Boston neighborhood I was amazed to see that all the houses were huge. The family house in Spain was considered big by our standards. We weren't rich but we weren't poor either.

The car pulled up in front of a large white house with four columns lining the front of the building. When we walked up the stairs through the front door, I was in awe of how high the ceiling was. Everything in the house was so clean, sterile and quiet. The house hardly looked lived in. I wondered why anyone would need a house with eight bedrooms when there were only the three of us living in the house. Not counting the maid, cook, butler and chauffeur that had their own live in quarters. Why would anyone need so many rooms that would remain used anyway? I just couldn't get past the wastefulness of it all.

My adjustment went as well as could be expected for someone whose mother just died. I barely said a word to anyone. I only spoke to Liz. The only time I saw my father was at breakfast and dinner time, if I was lucky. He worked as a senior vice president at his father's company. We hardly spoke to each other when he was around and my sister explained to me that that was normal. She was raised by nannies and maids so she was used to it. He was a workaholic. When he wasn't at his office working, he was at home in his study working. I went from having an entire family to having just my sister. At night I would cry myself to sleep, wishing I was back at home and my mother was alive. I wasn't allowed contact with my family in Spain. It was hard.

Liz was overjoyed to have me living with her. I realized why my sister always called us so much in Spain, she was lonely. We were the only Spanish kids in our neighborhood and we stood out because of our skin and eye color. She didn't feel like she fit in. This wasn't a place where _different_ was welcomed. Everyone looked and acted the same. It was like they were clones. I was enrolled in the same school my sister went to along with all of the kids in our neighborhood. All of the parents attended the school when they were children so all of their kids went as well.

Liz stuck to me like glue at school but I didn't mind. Her constant chattering made me feel like I was back at home with my family in Spain. I met Ryan about a week after starting school. He came over to the house and I learned that my father and his parents were best friends. Ryan was a skinny, fun loving kid with a goofy smile. He was always getting the two of us into trouble. I don't know why he glommed onto me. God knows we were nothing alike and in those days I was a very withdrawn boy. He annoyed Liz a lot and the two of them gave me lots of entertainment with their constant bickering. We were the three musketeers. Really it shouldn't have been any surprise to me when they got together. I sure was surprised when at the age of sixteen; Ryan walked up to me, looked me straight in the eye and told me he was in love with my sister. I punched him in the face and stormed off. I felt bad for hitting him. She was better off with Ryan than one of those preppy morons that were always hitting on her. Half an hour later, Liz found me, punched me in the face and demanded that I be happy for her. That was the end of my objections.

I had no trouble with girls when it came to dating. Apparently my accent was something that made me sexy or something and the fact that I played a guitar and sang made me irresistible to women. Whatever, I didn't get it, I would never understand women. I had no trouble with grades and I mostly kept myself out of trouble. My father usually ignored me but that quickly changed when I began to sneak out of the house at night to hang out at Latin nightclubs. Sometimes Liz would go with me and our father would yell at me for hours on end the next day. I usually chose that time to swim laps in our pool, effectively drowning out his voice. I didn't give a damn. He took my family from me but I wouldn't let him take the closest thing I had that reminded me of where I came from.

I decided to try out for the swim team while Ryan tried out for the football team. Surprisingly I was pretty good at it and I won a lot of competitions. Even more surprising was my father actually being proud of me. His eyes would shine with pride every time I brought home another trophy or medal to add to my fast growing collection. I had to admit that a small part of me liked that he was proud me. It wasn't until I realized that he thought my being on the swim team meant I was _finally_ becoming like the other kids. He thought I would become a clone like everyone else. When I quit the swim team he was furious with me but I didn't care. He refused to see me for who I was. The staff at the house knew me better than he did. I didn't need him. All I needed was my sister and my best friend. That was until I met _her_.

The moment I met Isabella Swan I felt drawn to her. It was almost like love at first sight. That crap never happen to me before. I could barely take my eyes off of her as my sister introduced us. I was completely taken in by her irresistible brown eyes, perfect mouth, long chestnut hair and creamy skin. She was so beautiful. When she blushed that adorable shade of pink, I was gone. I wanted to talk to her and learn more about her. We lay around later that night trading stories, getting to know each other. I gathered that she was a quiet and guarded person. When she talked about her past, she did it carefully. Almost as if she was deciding on what she could tell us and what she couldn't. After she fell asleep on the floor, I picked her up and put her to bed. She looked so peaceful.

When we got back to our apartment that night Ryan made fun of the way I acted around Isabella.

"Dude, you couldn't stop staring at her. You got it bad." He was wearing a ridiculous grin on his face.

I tried to save face. "No, I don't. It's not like that. She seems interesting. That's all." I tried to convince myself and Ryan.

"I've never seen you look like that before. You like her. Dude, just admit it. Just don't stare at her too much. Girls find that sort of thing creepy." I didn't think his smile could get any wider.

"Just shut up. I'm going to bed." Then I quickly made a beeline for my room. As I lay on my bed I couldn't help but think that maybe Ryan was right. I was in trouble.

The next morning we went over to their apartment to have breakfast then Ryan drove us to campus to have a look around. She looked so sad in the car that I had to know that she was okay. I recognized the look in her eyes as the same sadness my mother had whenever she was thinking about my father. The scene in the Dining Hall with Dillon would have been hilarious if not for the way he was looking at her. Isabella seemed clearly uncomfortable with the attention he gave her. It was almost as if she wasn't used to men being attracted to her. We got into a food fight at their apartment because Ryan wouldn't stop his teasing. It was the first time I'd seen her laugh. Even covered in olives and lettuce Isabella, still looked beautiful.

I knew I made her nervous when I looked at her but I couldn't figure out why. My sister grew close to her and I knew the reason. Whatever I was to Ryan, that's what Isabella was to Liz. I'll admit I was a little jealous when she introduced us to Zach. I thought she had feelings for him because of the way she would look at him and play with bracelet on her wrist. But I came to realize she only thought of him as a brother just like she did with Ryan.

I wasn't sure what she thought of me but I knew she wasn't over her ex boyfriend. I came to that conclusion last Christmas after we bumped into each other under the mistletoe. As she looked up at me with surprise, I placed my hands on her arms then leaned down to kiss her. I felt her stiffen slightly and I knew she wasn't ready. So I changed course and kissed her on the cheek instead. As my lips touched her cheek, I felt her eyelashes flutter and heard her breath catch. When I pulled away she looked flushed with a dazed expression in her eyes. Behind her I saw Ryan, with a ridiculous grin on his face, giving me the thumbs up. I wouldn't push her. If she wanted to be friends then that's what we would be.

We were all in my apartment waiting for Izzy to arrive so we could watch a movie when I had another one of my feelings. I had to call her to make sure she was okay. When she got cut off I instantly knew that something had happened. Something was wrong. I shot up from the couch surprising the hell out of Liz and Ryan and went flying through the front door and down the hall. I heard Ryan and Liz behind me.

Ryan caught up to me. "What's going on, man?"

"I was talking to Izzy but we got cut off. She's in the basement. Something's wrong." Damn it! Why did we get an apartment on the other end of the building? We tried the elevator but it was taking forever so we decided to take the stairs instead.

As we raced down the stairs I prayed that she was okay. I prayed that I was just overreacting and she would laugh at my drama queen behavior when I got there. I prayed. We got to the bottom of the stairs when I heard an almost inhuman scream. I yanked open the basement door and ran into the parking lot. I didn't see her at first thanks to the flickering lights of the basement then I saw a figure in the distance. It was Isabella. Her shoulders were hunched over as she staggered slowly in our direction.

Liz screamed, "Oh my God! Izzy, what happened? Are you okay?"

Ryan shouted. "What the fuck?" He was frozen where he stood.

I couldn't speak. The words were stuck in my throat. As we moved closer to her I realized she was covered in blood, her blouse was ripped open exposing her chest and bra. Her jeans were unzipped and one of her shoes was missing. She was a mess. I caught her as she fell. Her dazed eyes rolled around then focused on me. My heart broke for her.

"Isabella, I'm here. You're safe." I don't know if she heard me. She looked as if she wanted to say something when her eyes lost focus and fluttered closed. I experienced hysteria for a second before I realized she was still breathing. I sighed with relief. She wasn't dead, she was just unconscious.

I cradled her in my arms while Ryan called 911. I heard Ryan and Liz talking about the man that lay unconscious a few feet away but I couldn't really pay attention to what they were saying. I was too busy checking Isabella over for any injuries. When I only found a cut on her forehead, I determined that most of the blood wasn't hers.

I forced myself back to reality and looked up when I heard a scuffle. Ryan had his arms wrapped around a snarling Liz trying to restrain her. "Liz, if you don't stop kicking the guy you're gonna kill him."

"He did this to her! Let me kill the bastard!" She screamed and delivered another kick to the man's ribs before Ryan was able to drag her away.

I heard the sirens in the distance and moments later the ambulance and police arrived. The commotion of the sirens brought out a few of building's tenants and a crowd gathered in the basement. I didn't want to let her go even as the paramedics approached.

One of them eyed the death grip I had on Isabella. Her voice was sympathetic yet firm, "Sir, you have to let her go. We have to see if she needs to be stabilized and get her to the hospital."

I released my grip and stepped away as they examined her. I felt like I was walking under water. My movements were felt slow and I wasn't able to process the voices around me. I glanced at the man responsible for this. He was being treated by paramedics as well and was still unconscious. I hoped he was dead. My attention snapped back to Isabella as I heard the paramedics uttering words like 'intracranial pressure', 'brain bleeding' and 'scan'. God, none of those things sounded good.

I rode in the ambulance with Isabella and held her hand while Liz and Ryan followed us in his car. We arrived at the hospital, before she was wheeled away on a gurney I leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Please don't die."

The police came to get collect our statements on what happened. We didn't have that much information to give as we got there when it was over. As I ran my hands through my hair for the thirtieth time, Zach came running down the hallway.

"What the hell happened to Izzy?" He gasped for breath.

Ryan mumbled, "Some guy attacked her in the basement but don't worry she messed him up good. We got there after it was over though." He looked a little guilty.

Whatever Zach was about to say was interrupted by the doctor that took Izzy away. "Hello, I'm Dr. Stevens. You came in with Isabella Swan?" A middle aged doctor approached us with a clip board in his hand.

I stood up. "Yes, we did. Is she okay?"

Dr. Stevens smiled. "Isabella will be fine. She just has a mild concussion and some bruises and swelling on her face. She also sustained a sprained wrist but if she takes it easy, it should heal just fine. You can take her home tonight. She just needs lots of rest and medication to manage her pain."

"Can we see her now?" I asked.

He glanced at his wrist watch. "She's been awake for a while but the police needed to get her statement. I think they should be finished with her by now. So you can go in." And with that he left.

As we got to her door, we saw two uniformed policemen leaving her room. I swallowed thickly as we entered her room. She struggled to sit upright gave us a small smile. She looked pale, fragile and banged up but she was okay. The side of her cheek was swollen, the cut on her forehead had been stitched and she wore a bandage on her wrist. I'd never experienced the kind of fear I felt tonight since the day I found out my mother was dying. If I had any doubt about it earlier, I was certain now. I had feelings for Isabella Swan and I was in trouble. _Big time.

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**A/N: Okay so I have a few truths for you guys. This is not one of those stories where things happen overnight. I like to build and have things to progress at human speed.****So this story will be a long or longish one. Most of the chapters will be in Bella's POV as this is her story but I will switch to other POVs when necessary.  
**

**Links to the pics of Zach and Dillon are up in my profile.**

**Thank you guys so much for the reviews, favs and alerts. You guys rock!**

** You know what to do if you want your chapter before next Friday.**


	10. Kung fu Girl

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Okay, I know some of you were wondering why Alice didn't see Bella's attack. In a previous chapter Bella made Alice promise to stop looking in on her. But don't worry, Bella wouldn't be able to keep it secret from them for long. The Cullens are definitely not out of her life.  
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Chapter 10

I was alive. I fought for my life against a man twice my size and won. I could barely believe it. I could take care of myself…well, against normal human beings anyway. But that was still something. I wasn't the helpless invalid everyone back in Forks thought I was. Jacob would be so proud. I felt a nervous giggle build in my throat and stifled it. It wouldn't be wise to start giggling when there were two officers questioning me about an attack in which a man was tasered. It wouldn't be wise at all.

Feeling as if I was outside my body, I watched the officers conduct their inquiry. I think I was still in shock. I heard myself explain how he attacked me and how I fought him off. I heard them telling me that my attacker fit the description of the man who attacked three other women before and how lucky I was. The experience left me feeling out of it. Really just wanting to go home, I didn't want to talk about it anymore. I already had to deal with the doctor asking me all sorts of stupid questions like 'how many fingers do you see?' and 'what year is it?' It also didn't help that my head was killing me.

As the officers left the room my friends came in. One by one they filtered into the room with worried frowns and concerned wide eyes. I tried to smile only to wince from the painful cut on my lip. The cut on my lip hurt. They were all standing in the corner of the room as if they were afraid to come near me. Guilt marred their faces. Why did they look guilty? They weren't responsible for what happened to me. No one was except for the bastard who attacked me.

After staring at me for a few seconds, Liz was the first one to break the silence and the invisible barrier that separated us. She crossed the room and threw her arms around me. "Oh God, Izzy. I'm so glad you're okay." Her body shook with choked sobs.

Despite the pain of my lip I smiled again trying to reassure her while I rubbed soothing circles on her back. "It's okay, Liz. Nothing happened to me. I'm fine."

The guys came closer to stand around my bed and then there were lots of smiling. At least until Ryan said, "Jeez Liz, try not to kill the girl." The room went silent and their smiles disappeared again.

Liz glared at him while Zach smacked Ryan's head. "Dude, why would you _say_ something like that?"

Ryan was instantly ashamed. "Man, I'm real sorry, Izzy. That was a stupid thing to say." That look didn't belong on his face. I wanted to see ridiculous, goofy Ryan again.

I smiled reassuringly. "No really, it's okay, guys. I'm fine. You don't have to walk on eggshells around me. I'm not going to fall apart."

"She's right, you guys. She showed us tonight that she's stronger than she looks." This was from Taylor. It was the first time he'd spoken since coming into the room. I gave him a smile that I hoped expressed my gratitude.

Well, that was all the reassurance Ryan needed. "See she's tough." He was back to his smiling self.

"I heard you fought him off, champ." Zach grinned.

"Fought him off? Man, she totally kicked his ass. She broke his nose and everything. You should have seen it. It was so freaking cool. " Ryan gushed. He and Zach looked completely impressed.

Meanwhile Ryan's words made me nauseous as I remembered the feel of his nose breaking and the blood pouring out of it. I glanced at my hand and was horrified. I could still see some of his dried blood on my hand. Taylor must have seen my freak out coming and decided to head me off at the pass.

"Okay guys, I think Izzy would like to go home now. Let's give her a chance to get dressed." He gave Liz a meaningful glance as the boys left the room. She stayed behind to help me put on my clothes.

As I shrugged on my blouse I remembered the buttons had been ripped off and I would have to hold it closed. Liz saw my predicament and handed me a leather jacket. It looked a lot like one of Taylor's.

At my confused expression Liz answered. "Yeah, Taylor left it. He saw the condition of your blouse and figured you would need this."

We walked out the room slowly. I still felt a little dizzy. They piled me into the car and we drove home. I was grateful when they parked the car in the parking lot in front of the building. I didn't think I could handle being in the basement again that tonight. I wasn't that brave.

When we got to the apartment, Liz helped me change out of my clothes while the boys sat in the living room. I glanced at the mirror and decided I needed a bath. I looked awful. My cheek and bottom lip was swollen and bruised. I still had dried blood on my face, hands and chest. I still felt so weak and I didn't want to pass out in the shower.

I turned to Liz nervously. "Um… Liz? Do you think you could help me get into the shower? I really need to take a bath?" Why was I nervous? Liz was a girl. I was a girl. No big deal.

"Oh, okay. No problem." She was totally cool about the whole thing.

I took off my underwear and Liz helped me into the shower. When I was done she helped me out and wrapped a towel around me.

She raised an eyebrow and smirked, "You know, you're kinda hot."

She gave me my first real laugh of the night and it felt good. "Thanks, Liz."

"Thanks for what?" She frowned.

"For everything." I looked at her and she knew I meant thanks for dragging me to those self defense classes and thanks for being there for me.

She put her arm around my shoulder and led me into the bedroom. "Come on. Let's get that sexy body of yours into some clothes."

She helped me put on shorts and a tank top then got into bed with me. I had one more favor to ask of her and I was nervous about it.

"Liz, could you do me a favor and stay with me tonight?" I bit my lip and winced. I would have to stop doing that for a while.

"Of course I'll stay." She agreed much too quickly.

I had to make her understand what she was agreeing to. "You see, the thing is back home I had a lot of nightmares. I haven't had any for a long time but something tells me I'll be having them tonight." I spared her a glance expecting to see her completely unnerved by my confession but all I saw was understanding.

I pushed again. "I wake up screaming, Liz."

"People tend to do that when they have nightmares, Izzy. It's no big deal." At this point I was much too tired to argue anymore. I yawned. Why was I so tired? Oh yeah, it was probably those pills.

I mumbled an okay and let myself drift off into some much needed sleep.

_A noise woke me up. I looked over to the empty spot next to me. Where did Liz go? It was still dark outside. I glanced at the clock. It was about 2 a.m. I sat up and I looked around my dark room. My heart pounded in my ears. Why did I feel so afraid? What was that noise from before? _

_That's when I heard it. A sinister chuckle echoed around the room. My eyes widened as arms wrapped around me and he whispered in my ear, "Did you really think you could get away from me? I'm going to finish what I started."_

_And then I screamed._

Someone was shaking me. "Izzy, it's okay, wake up. Izzy, you have to wake up."

I shot up in the bed, completely disoriented. Liz wrapped her arms around me whispering comforting words as I sobbed. I heard the pounding of feet on the floor then my bedroom door burst open and three shadowy figures ran in.

Liz and I both screamed. The light flicked on and we saw Ryan, Zach and Taylor looking concerned and disheveled.

"Jeez, thanks a lot. You guys just took ten years off my life." Liz removed her hand from her throat.

"We heard screaming… Why was there screaming?" Ryan eyed us warily.

I found my voice then. "I had a nightmare. Sorry." Great, I woke everyone up. I was completely embarrassed. _Would I ever stop being weird?_

"Oh. Okay then. We'll just get back to bed." Taylor ushered the boys out of the room and closed the door.

I flopped back on the bed and sighed, "I'm sorry, Liz."

She leaned over and brushed sweat drenched hair from my forehead. "Don't apologize, Izzy. None of this is your fault. How about we leave the light on tonight?" Liz suggested while wrapping an arm around me. Liz was real big on spooning.

"Good idea." Darkness was definitely not my friend tonight. God how I wished Jacob was here.

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I woke up alone but that was okay because it was morning. The sun shone through my window and a gentle breeze blew my drapes into the air. I touched my forehead. The pain wasn't as bad now but I knew that I would need to take more pills later on in the day. I heard talking outside my door. I figured the guys were up already. I hoped Liz was able to get some sleep last night. After I woke everyone else up with my screaming, I didn't have anymore nightmares. _Thank God._

As I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed, my door opened revealing Taylor.

"Hey, I was just checking up on you. How are you feeling?" He was dressed in his usual t shirt and jeans. He leaned against the doorframe and I wondered how he pulled off looking like a model so early in the damn morning. What time was it anyway? I glanced at the clock. It was about quarter past ten. Wow! I must have been really tired.

I blushed when I realized that I still didn't answer Taylor's question. "I'm feeling okay. A lot better than I felt last night." I stood up and felt my stomach clench. _Crap, I spoke too soon._

I clamped my hand over my mouth and dashed into the bathroom. I made it to the toilet bowl just in time to relieve the contents of my stomach. _Well, there goes my burger from yesterday._ As I continued to retch, chills shook my body. I felt awful. _Why did I feel so bad?_ I thought the worst was over last night. It was probably some kind of delayed reaction to the attack. Just when I thought I couldn't feel any worse, I heard footsteps and then Taylor was kneeling behind me on the cold linoleum floor.

I groaned. "Go away, Taylor." This was so embarrassing. "You don't have to be here for this."

"Isabella, don't worry about it. It's nothing I haven't seen before. Besides, I'm not going to leave you alone." He held my hair as yet another wave of nausea washed over me. When it was over and I felt strong enough, Taylor helped me up then stood behind me as I brushed my teeth and washed my face. I felt better as I stared at my reflection. I was relieved I didn't look that bad. The bruises on my face could be hidden with concealer and the swelling would go down soon. All I had to worry about was the cut on my lip and forehead.

Suddenly, Liz appeared in the doorway holding the cordless phone in her hand. She looked nervous. "Izzy, it's your Dad. He's freaking out. He wants to know why he can't reach you on your cell phone." I took the phone from her.

I grimaced. Crap, I forgot I was supposed to call him last night. Taylor and I made our way to my bed. He sat down next to me while Liz mouthed a 'sorry' and left the room.

I answered feebly, "Hey Dad."

Charlie voice was clearly annoyed. "Bella, I've been worried sick about you. What the hell happened to your cell phone? I've been trying to reach you since last night. I called the apartment and I still couldn't get an answer." For a second I wondered if I should tell him about what happened last night.

I decided to tell him the truth. "Dad, I have to tell you something but you have to promise not to freak out. Okay?" I held my breath.

"Okay." He said cautiously.

I took a deep breath and blurted out quickly, "Dad, last night a man tried to attack me in the basement parking lot."

I held the phone away from my ear as he screamed, "What! Are you okay!?" So much for not freaking out.

"Dad, I'm fine. I was able to fight him off. Nothing happened, okay? My friends found me in time. Now take a deep breath and relax. I don't want you to have a heart attack." I tried to soothe him. I was glad I told him about the classes.

I suddenly felt very tired. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up. _Taylor_. His expression was a concerned one. I almost forgot he was sitting next to me. I leaned against him and sighed.

"Are you sure you're okay? Did the police catch the guy?" He was still so worried.

"They got him, Dad. He's in the hospital." For that I was glad.

"He's in the hospital? Just how badly did you beat him?" I could hear the proud smile in his voice. Charlie knew what it meant to me to be able to defend myself.

"Pretty bad, Dad. I think he's going to be there for a while." I couldn't help the small smile that crept across my face.

"Is that all, Bells? Is everything really okay?" He needed more reassurance.

I sighed. "Everything's fine, Dad, but I need to ask you to do something for me. Could you please do me a favor and not tell anybody about this?" I hated asking him to keep this to himself but I couldn't risk Jake finding out and coming to see me. I was finally starting to feel strong again. Seeing Jake again would only make me weak_. God, I was such a coward._

Charlie's answer was hesitant. "Sure, kiddo. If that's what you want."

"It's what I want, Dad. Really." Not really but it was the most I could ask for.

"If that's really what you want, then I'll do it but on one condition_._" I tensed up._ Oh, oh. This doesn't sound good._

"What do I have to do?" I asked warily.

"You have to be the one to tell your mother." _Ah shit._

I completely forgot about Renee. She was really going to freak out. The woman was such a drama queen.

I groaned and closed my eyes. "Fine Dad, I'll tell Mom. Can I call you later though?" I really didn't feel like talking about this anymore. I was beginning to get hungry.

"Okay, Bells. We'll talk later. But I just want you to know that I'm so proud of you and I want to hear what Renee has to say about this. Bye." I could hear the laughter in his voice. I couldn't believe it what I was hearing. He was actually looking forward to Renee's dramatics. Of course he would enjoy it once it wasn't being directed at him. Damn!

"Bye." I grumbled. I hung up and flopped back on the bed.

Taylor looked down at me then stretched out next to me on his side with his arm propping up his head. My eyes followed his movement, watching as his muscles rippled under his t-shirt. "Hey, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just have to tell my Mom about last night. She is going to freak." I pouted.

His green eyes twinkled with amusement. "Sorry to hear that." Sorry my foot. He was smiling.

I raised an eyebrow. "Funny, you don't look or sound sorry." My attempt to look annoyed was ruined by my grin.

His smile faded and he reached out to twirl a lock of my hair around his fingers. "You know I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier. I'm really glad you're okay, Isabella."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I just mumbled thanks and changed the subject. "How did you know I was in trouble?" I was sure my phone smashed into pieces the moment it hit the floor. So I knew he didn't hear me scream.

He looked away. "When we were cut off I just got a feeling that something was wrong." He looked a little embarrassed. I wondered why.

"Well, thank you so much for coming to save me. You guys are my heroes." I reached out and rubbed his arm.

Taylor smiled. "We didn't save you, Izzy. You saved yourself." He covered my hand with his other hand and fixed me with another one of his stares.

Okay things were starting to feel a little weird. So I sat up nervously trying to look at everything else in the room but him.

"Hey, I think I'm ready to try some actual food." Food was a good idea.

I heard a small sigh behind me and felt the bed shift slightly as he sat up too. "Let's get you something to eat." He stood up and offered me his hand.

I relaxed, took the offered hand and walked out of the room with him.

When I returned to classes all my friends knew what happened to me. All thanks to the big mouths of Ryan and Zach but pretty soon the novelty of 'kung fu girl' wore off. Everyone returned to normal and people no longer stared at me like I was some kind of exotic bird. Dillon sent me flowers at the apartment. Liz giggled while Ryan and Zach rolled their eyes and muttered something about Dillon not taking the hint. Taylor said nothing as usual but I saw a slight tightening of his jaw when he saw the flowers.

My conversation with Renee went as was expected. She was hysterical and it took a good half an hour to calm her down and persuade her not to come to Hanover. Since Alice didn't see my attack, I decided not to tell her or the Cullens about any of it. The last thing I needed was Alice checking up on my life every five minutes and I knew I wouldn't be able to keep Edward away if he thought I was in any danger. I told Leah about my chance encounter and thanked her. I explained that it was because of her encouragement that I decided to take those self defense classes. I couldn't tell her it was her voice telling me to fight for my life that saved me. She'd think I was nuts.

I learned my attacker's name was James Camry. It was official. I hated the name James. The moron actually tried to convince the police that _I_ was the one who attacked _him._ It might have worked too if I wasn't half his size and lived in the building he was _supposedly_ attacked in. It didn't help that the basement security cameras picked up what happened and one of the women he attacked was also able to positively identify him. James Camry didn't have a leg to stand on. He would be going away for a long time.

Our summer break was right around the corner and I couldn't wait. I really needed a vacation. It had been one hell of a year.

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**A/N: Don't worry about Bella keeping more secrets from Jacob. He'll find out about her attack but he won't react like she expected.**

**Coming up next is the long awaited chapter in Jacob's POV.**

**You know what to do if you want your chapter before next Friday. Review.  
**


	11. Jacob Black, the Man

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**This chapter is in Jacob's POV. My longest chapter ever.  
**

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Chapter 11

JPOV

_How could she leave me?_

Bella said she wouldn't marry the leech because she loved me. Then she said it didn't change anything. That it wasn't enough to make her stay. She said she didn't want to be like her mom. She didn't want to wake up one day feeling like she threw her life away. Why couldn't Bella see that she was nothing like her mother? She didn't have a restless spirit like her mother did. She would have been happy in Forks. We would have been happy.

As she left my room, I wanted to go after her. I wanted to see her before she went to Florida but I wasn't done healing, so I was stuck waiting for her to come back. Every other day I would go by her house to see if she was back yet. I don't know why but I got the feeling I wouldn't get the chance to see her before she left for school. She was gone for two weeks and I missed her.

Sam tried to keep me busy with more patrols after my Dad told him about routine trips to the Swan house. The guys in the pack were constantly on me about going by Bella's house, telling me I was stalking her. Whatever. Aside from the imprinted wolves, none of them knew anything about love. Bella wasn't just a girl. Bella was _the_ girl. Surprisingly, Leah always remained silent whenever they got on my case. It was a little strange because usually she would be the one leading the charge. She never liked Bella.

Then Bella finally came back. She'd been back for two days before I found out and she didn't even call to let me know. I overheard it when Dad was talking to Charlie over the phone. I was furious with her. She was leaving the next day and she wasn't even planning on seeing me before she left.

I undressed, phased and ran all the way to her house. The need to see her was too strong. I couldn't let her leave and I would do anything to convince her to stay. I thought that if I could just talk to her, maybe she'd change her mind. I phased back and got dressed. As I broke the tree line I could see Bella's house. There were no lights on and I began to wonder if she was still at home.

I took a deep breath and inhaled. She was home and I could smell her sweet strawberry scent. I climbed the tree to her bedroom window and leapt through it. I think my landing woke her up but before she could sit up completely, I had her in my grasp. I was almost tempted to shake some sense into her but I would never hurt her. When I asked her why she didn't come to see me and she told me that it would have been too hard to say goodbye to me. I felt my anger drain away. I loved that girl more than anything and I just couldn't stay mad at her.

As I kissed her forehead, the scent of her arousal hit me like a ton of bricks. I was familiar with the scent but in the past it had always been for the walking corpse. I couldn't believe it. She wanted me as much as I've always wanted her. As she looked at me I knew she was scared but I reassured her that I would only go as far as she wanted me too. That night with Bella was the greatest night of my life. Her beautiful hair spread across her pillow, being able to touch and taste her in ways the leech only dreamed about was incredible.

That night I held her as she slept with her head tucked under my chin and her hand on my chest. I didn't want to leave but I knew Charlie would be home soon. I couldn't be in here when he came to check on Bella as I was sure he would. I might have been a werewolf but bulletproof I was not. I gently eased her off me and got dressed. I left her a note on the pillow next to her and left as I heard Charlie's cruiser only minutes away.

I waited in the trees by her house till morning. I had to see for myself. I couldn't believe she would actually leave but as I saw her walk out of the house with the look of torment in her eyes, I knew. She was leaving and I felt my heart break. I had to let her go and as always I would give her whatever she wanted even if I had to break my own heart to give it to her.

I took my broken heart and ran away. I left the remains of my clothes behind me. I couldn't stay human anymore. It hurt too much. I ran until my bones ached. My body begged me to stop and rest but every mile away from home was another mile between me and my misery.

As the last rays of the sun began to fade, the thoughts of the pack invaded my head.

_Jake, where are you man? _Seth asked.

_Jacob, you need to get your ass back here_. Leah was as sensitive as usual.

_Yeah, we really don't have time to deal with you and your leech lover drama._ God, why couldn't someone punch Paul in his face?

_We're your friends, Jake. You shouldn't be alone right now._ Embry said gently.

_Yeah man, you should come home._ Quil said.

_At least she wasn't your imprint._ This piece of garbage was from Jared. Like I needed to hear that crap. I couldn't care less about imprinting.

_Leave me alone!_ I shouted.

All I wanted was to be left alone. Was that too much to ask? Their voices swirled around my head nonstop. Finally, after continuously bombarding me with their thoughts Sam got them to phase back.

_It's okay if you need a little time away. We'll look out for Billy until you get back. _With that said Sam phased back and I was left in sweet silence.

I would run for hours until my energy was spent or until I had to hunt something to eat. I heard the others phasing in at different intervals but for the most part no one spoke to me and I was able to ignore their thoughts. Every day was the same routine. I would hunt, run until I could run no more and think about Bella.

I would think about the time we'd spent together just sitting in my make-shift garage, drinking warm sodas and Bella watching me work. I'd remember how she looked when she first came to me. She was broken in the worst possible way. The leech didn't just leave her. He told her she wasn't good enough for him and he didn't want her. She was a mess but I was there to put her back together.

I'd always known Bella loved me even when she said she only loved the leech. We got each other in a way the leech never understood. Even when he tried to keep her from me, she would still sneak way to La Push. But this time it wasn't the parasite keeping her from me. Bella was doing it herself and I just couldn't understand why.

For weeks I carried on like that until I realized it was time to go home. I'd left my Dad alone long enough and I had responsibilities I couldn't run away from. I knew I couldn't run away from the pain of missing Bella. There was no escaping it.

The pack and my father welcomed me back with open arms. Being human again after going wolf for so long took some getting used to. I had to adjust to wearing clothes and eating off dishes again. I returned to school and did everything I was expected to do but I was still obsessing over my pain of losing Bella.

Eventually Sam was the only one who could patrol with me. Being able to share each other's thoughts and feelings was hard, especially when one of us was in pain. Sam said he didn't mind though. He understood the pain of not being able to be with someone you loved. I knew he loved Emily but he didn't choose her. He chose to love Leah but now he couldn't be with her and she hated him. I think the worst part of it all was that he still loved her but the imprint was just stronger.

* * *

My sister Rachel moved back home and then Paul of all people imprinted on her. We held a welcome home bonfire for her at the house and as soon as I saw his slack jawed expression, I knew what had happened. My body shook with fury and my control snapped. Before I knew it I was running at him. Paul took one look at me and darted off in the direction of the woods. We both phased after we crossed the tree line. I could hear his thoughts as I chased him deeper into the woods. He was trying to lead me away from Rachel. The ass was actually worried that I would hurt my own sister.

_It's not my sister you have to worry about me hurting, asswipe_. He'd tire eventually. I was known for my endurance. Of all the crap that had to happen to me Paul imprinting on Rachel was the last straw.

I heard Paul whine. _Come on man, you know I can't help it. I love her._

His words only served to infuriate me further. I dug my paws deeper into the soil and increased my speed. I was gaining on him_. Love? You perverted diseased dog. If you think I'm gonna let you come anywhere near my sister, you're out of your mind._

I could hear Sam and the other's thoughts screaming at me to stop.

_Jacob, you know this is not his fault. He didn't choose this. None of us did._ Sam finished sadly and I felt my rage ebb away as I slowed down. Sam and the other were able to catch up with me.

I knew Sam was right but that didn't mean I had to like it. Now I'd have to deal with seeing my sister starring in his disgusting fantasies. Everything about this sucked.

As I slowed to a stop, Paul stopped a small distance away from me. _Don't worry, Sam. We all know what this is about. He's just jealous he didn't imprint on that leech loving whore._ His eyes narrowed and his lips curled above his teeth.

The moment those words echoed in his mind, I felt my anger blaze again with a vengeance. My own lips curled in a snarl. _What did you just say?_ If Paul had any sense he would have known he just pushed the wrong button. I stalked toward him slowly but Paul stood his ground.

_Shut up, Paul!_ Sam's voice boomed as he tried to intervene.

I heard Paul's vicious laughter in my head as he continued to taunt me. _You heard me. Everyone saw what happened between you two. Hmm… I wonder how she said goodbye to the leech. What do you think she gave him as a going away present? Maybe she sucked his-._

I didn't give him time to finish. I saw red as my paws pounded across the forest floor. He could say whatever he wanted to about me but I wouldn't let him talk about my Bella like she was nothing but a cheap slut. This would be the last time he ever talked about her like that. I would make sure of it.

Sam took a few steps trying to get in between us but something in me stopped him. _Stay where you are, Sam!_ I heard shock resister in both Sam's and the pack's mind when he was unable to move.

I saw Paul's eyes widened for a second and then I was on him, snapping and biting. My strength was limitless as I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck with my jaws and threw him across the forest like a rag doll. He landed in a heap on the ground and I jumped on him again. He yelped in pain and tried to fight back when I ripped out a piece of fur from his side. I wasn't myself anymore. All I felt was rage as the word _submit, submit, submit_ pounded in my mind over and over again.

I sunk my teeth into the fur on his neck as he lay motionless on the floor. It would only take one snap of my jaw to end his life. _If I __**ever**__ hear you talking that way about Bella again, I promise you I will finish the job._ He had the good sense to stay silent.

Sam was freed from whatever it was that held his body immobile. Then Sam and Jared were able to drag me off of Paul before I had the chance to change my mind.

_Jake, calm the hell down __**now**__!_ Sam commanded in his alpha voice and I felt the rage leave my body.

Paul sat up and shook the dizziness from his head. _You're a real asshole, Jake. You know that?_ Paul spat. Embry and Quil snickered while Leah and Seth walked over to assess his injuries.

_That's what you get for talking shit about Bella. Serves you right. _Leah quipped and everyone went silent.

_What the hell?_ Everyone was shocked to hear Leah defending Bella. When she realized that we were paying attention to her, she suddenly turned her thoughts to her period.

There wasn't a wolf there that didn't cringe and mentally pull away. We couldn't help it. We were all guys and that stuff was well… gross.

_Stay out of my fucking mind._ Leah snarled at us. She phased back, threw on her cotton dress and angrily stalked off leaving us confused.

_Dude, what's wrong with your sister?_ Quil asked Seth.

_What do you mean 'what's wrong with her'? She's like that everyday, man. I don't even notice anymore._ Seth said. The ensuing laughter served to relieve the tension.

Sam directed the attention back to me. _Jake, I know you don't like this but you have to accept Paul and your sister. Paul doesn't have a choice but Rachel does. If she wants to be with him, you can't get in the way. It's the rules, man._

I hated to admit it but Sam was right. My life couldn't suck any worst than it already did at that point. I nodded.

_Good. Now let's get back to the party. Your sister will have to be told about us and what we are._ Sam said to us and we ran in the direction of the party with Paul keeping a safe distance from me.

I heard Sam asking me in a hushed tone. _How did you do it, Jake? When you told me to stay where I was, I wasn't able to move for a while. What happened?_ Everyone else was wondering the same thing as they replayed the memory of the fight.

_I don't know either, Sam. _And I really didn't understand either. I shouldn't have been able to do what I did. Only the alpha has that power and Sam was still the alpha. I could feel it. So what the hell happened?

Rachel freaked out as expected when she was told about our existence as werewolves. It got even better when she was told about Paul's imprinting on her and what it meant. She refused to give him the time of day, much to my amusement. She'd heard about his Casanova treatment of women, which included some of her friends. Paul would have to jump through a million hoops to prove his love for her and I looked forward to watching him do it.

* * *

I knew my dad was still worried about me. I barely slept and I knew I looked like hell. Quil and Embry were constantly on my case about 'getting back on the horse' as they put it. No one could get through to me until Charlie came by the house one day to speak with me. I was in the garage working on an engine I'd been hired to fix when I heard his cruiser pull up.

I assumed he was there to see my Dad so you can imagine my surprise when I looked up from the engine to see him standing in front the garage opening.

He cleared his throat, "Hello, Jacob. I was wondering if I can have a few words with you."

I paused for a beat and mumbled an okay. What could Charlie want to talk to me about? He walked to the old sofa and took a seat.

I grabbed a cloth, leaned against the car and cleaned my hands. Charlie looked slightly uncomfortable and we were both silent for a while until he spoke. "Listen, son, I've known you since the day you were born. I've watched you grow up. Hell, I've even changed your diapers."

I grimaced. Why would he even want to bring that up? He chuckled when he saw my expression but his smiled faded as he looked at me hard. "Billy's been worried about you, son, and so have I."

"I don't understand what you mean, Charlie. I do what I'm told and I'm not getting into trouble. I haven't done anything wrong." Jeez, I did not want to have this conversation about my feelings with Charlie or anyone else for that matter.

Charlie slammed his fist down on the arm of the sofa in frustration. "Don't you play dumb with me, Jacob Black! You know exactly what I'm talking about." He shouted.

I stared at him dumbstruck. Never in all my years of knowing Charlie had he _ever_ yelled at me. I knew he always thought of me as the son he never had.

His voice and expression softened. "Look I know you miss Bella but what you've been doing… You're doing the exact same thing Bella did when that Cullen boy broke up with her. She did everything she was supposed to and stayed out of trouble but she was just a functioning corpse, Jake. I might not have been able to help her but I'll be damned if I'm going to stand by and let you do the same thing to yourself." His face hardened again with the look of determination in his eyes.

I hung my head in shame. I couldn't deny horrible the truth in Charlie's words. I was doing the exact same thing Bella did. I was a zombie. I might not have been clutching my sides and I didn't wake up screaming bloody murder in the middle of the night but I was no better than she was. I'd neglected my friends and my pack. I knew I hadn't been very good company for Billy. I was being a world class ass. I had to admit even when I patrolled I didn't have my head in the game. Being a werewolf was a dangerous job and any hesitation or distraction on my part could result in my death or the death of one of my brothers. My behavior was inexcusable.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Charlie. It's just that I miss her a lot."

"I know you do, son, but you can't keep carrying on like this. Bella didn't die, she went away to school. She might come back someday but then again she might not. What will you do if that happens? I know a thing or two about letting a Swan woman go. I don't want you to end up like me. You have to pull yourself out of this hole. You know Bella would want you to be happy." He eyed me sympathetically. I knew it was hard for him to talk about his failed marriage to Bella's mom.

I knew Bella would want me to be happy. Despite everything I knew she always hated when I was in any kind of pain. I couldn't keep doing this to myself. I didn't have the all time in the world to grieve over Bella leaving me. There were too many people depending on me.

I stood up straight, pulled myself up to my full height and looked Charlie straight in the eye. "Thanks for coming to talk to me, Charlie. I really appreciate it." I offered him a smile to let him know that I'd taken his words to heart.

Charlie stood up and walked over to me. He awkwardly gave me a pat on my shoulder. "Anytime, son." He seemed relieved to get that off his chest. He walked out of the garage leaving me alone with my thoughts.

It meant a lot to me that Charlie was honest with me and told me exactly what I'd been doing. It was time for me to stop being a child. I didn't know how to exist in a world without Bella but I did before and I would learn how to again. It was time to grow up and be a man.

One of the first things I did was apologize to my father personally.

I went into the house and found him in front of the TV. He looked up me and studied my face. I guess he wanted to see of if I was planning to ignore him again like I'd been doing lately.

I walked in and sat on the couch. "Dad, can I talk to you?"

He turned off the TV and gave me his full attention. "What is it, son?"

I took a deep breath and continued. "I just wanted to apologize for the way I've been acting these past few months. I know I've been neglecting my duties and I want you to know that it's going to stop now."

He cleared his throat looking pleased. "Well, I'm real glad to hear that. I was beginning to get really concerned about you. I'm glad you've finally decided to snap out of it." I was glad he didn't mention Bella. I wasn't ready to talk about her just yet.

I steeled myself. This next part would be difficult. "Dad, there's something else. I need you to do something for me."

His own expression turned pensive. "This sounds serious. What is, son?"

I looked him straight in the eyes. "I need you to arrange a meeting with the Council of Elders for me. There are some important things that I need to discuss with them."

He looked surprised. "All right. I'll contact everyone now and arrange the meeting for tonight." He looked as if he wanted to ask what the meeting would be about but as an Elder, he knew the proper protocol would be to wait for everyone to meet later.

I rose to my feet. "I have to go see Sam and discuss some… things with him." I could only hope he would take the news well but I wanted to warn him before I spoke with the council. It was only fair.

* * *

Later that night we gathered in the council's meeting lodge. I stood in front while the pack sat in the chairs behind me.

My father cleared his throat to get everyone's attention then he addressed the other council members. "My son, Jacob, called this meeting tonight to make an announcement." He turned to me. "Jacob, you have the floor."

All of the Elders were looking at me expectantly. I took a deep breath, "The reason I called you all here together tonight is because I have an announcement to make." I steeled myself. It was now or never. "I, Jacob Black am here to formally issue a challenge to Samuel Uley for the position of pack Alpha."

A collective gasp echoed around the room and I wasn't a bit surprised. I'd all but convinced everyone that I hated being a werewolf but that wasn't completely true. I disliked feeling like my choices had been taken away from me. Being a werewolf meant that I would never be able to leave the reservation, that I'd never go away to college and I'd never have a normal life. But being a werewolf gave me the ability to protect the people I loved like Bella, my pack and my people. It also gave me a sense of community and belonging. La Push was my home and it was time I stepped up to the position I was meant to have.

My father's eyes twinkled with pride. I knew he'd been waiting a long time for this day to come. "Are you certain you want to do this, Jacob?"

I held my head up. "Yes, I am."

Old Quil turned his attention to someone behind me. "And what of you, Sam? Do you accept this challenge from your Beta?"

Sam rose from his seat and came to stand at my side. "Yes, I accept his challenge. We've already seen the signs. The strength of Jacob's bloodline indicates that he is meant to lead not follow." I knew he was referring to the fight I had with Paul.

The council happy about this new development but a shadow loomed over their enthusiasm. If I were to become Alpha the strength of the pack would be unmatched giving us a vitality that would terrify our enemies. The pack wasn't at full strength with Sam as our leader.

I heard the pack behind me howl softly. We all knew what this challenge meant. Sam could not just hand me the position of Alpha. We would have to fight each other for the right to lead. Even though Sam never wanted to be the Alpha, the wolf in him would resent being told what to do. This challenge would be about teaching him to submit to my rule and I could end up killing him in the process. There have been instances in our legends where a wolf died in a challenge. Sam would be viewed as a threat to my authority by my inner wolf. There was a chance things would end badly.

"Do you accept the consequences of this challenge, whatever they may be?" This was from Trevor. In addition to his duties as Elder he was also in charge of our legends and history research.

"Yes." Sam and I answered simultaneously.

"Then in a few weeks, on the night of the full moon the challenge will be held. Meeting adjourned." Sue announced.

As the Elders filed out of the lodge, the pack approached Sam and me. There was excitement, questions and solemn looks. My eyes met Sam's from across the room and I knew he was telling me without words that he would not go down easily. He would fight to the death if need be, to secure his position in the pack's hierarchy. I fixed him with a steely stare of my own, telling him that I would also fight to the death to claim my rightful position. But deep in the recesses of my heart I hoped I would not have to kill my brother to do it.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Coming up next Bella starts her vacation with the gang and an old high school you guess who?  
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**Now as I have said in the past. This is Bella's journey not Jake's. To emphasize this point I've moved my story to the Bella only section.I might move it back to J/B later on but it'll stay here for now.**

**If you want your update before Friday, you know what to do. Review!  
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	12. Hunter's Prize

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**I decided to post this chapter !  
**

* * *

Chapter 12

BPOV

One night, I was sitting on my bed checking my email when I decided to log into my messenger. I was pleasantly surprised when I got an instant message from Angela. We chatted for a while. I learned that she and Ben broke up when she got accepted into the University of Argosy's teaching program in Florida and he got accepted to NYU. She was surprised to find out about my break up with Edward. She was sure we would be married by now. She was happy that I was okay with our break up this time. We emailed and spoke to each other regularly. Out of everyone from my high school, Angela was the only one I cared to keep contact with.

Finals were over and we were a month into the summer but we still couldn't figure out what to do. The gang decided they wanted to spend a vacation in Florida. I thought it would be nice to visit Renee while we were in town but when I called Renee to tell her the news I was disappointed to learn that she wouldn't be there. She and Phil would be on the road with his baseball team. She suggested we stay at the house instead of a hotel. I thought it was a great idea and everyone else was on board with the idea. When I called Angela to invite her down, she asked if she could bring her roommate Karen along and I agreed. We would arrive at the house Wednesday and Angela and Karen would be there the following day.

A few days later we packed our suitcases, piled everything in to the SUV and swung by the dorm to pick up Zach. During the long flight, I sat between Taylor and Zach while Liz and Ryan sat opposite us. Liz was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement. As she rambled on with an enthusiasm to match Alice's, I leaned my head back, closed my eyes and thought about Jacob. I wondered what he was doing and if he was happy. More than anything I wanted him to be happy. When Leah and I last spoke she said he was doing a whole lot better but she wouldn't go into detail. She explained that there were certain things she wasn't allowed to tell me because it was pack business. I didn't understand why she was being so secretive all of a sudden. No one from the pack knew we were even speaking. It was strange.

We landed in Jacksonville and loaded our stuff into our minivan rental. As we drove to the house I stared out the window remembering my last visit. I was heartbroken just having hurt the two men that loved me. I had no real idea of who I was because I was so wrapped up being Edward's Bella and Jacob's Bells. I still wasn't sure who I wanted to be but I was making progress and I knew it was partially thanks to the people in the car with me. The guys were talking about girls in bikinis and playing beach football. Liz was busy rattling off our itinerary while I nodded in the all the right places. I vaguely remembered hearing something about jet skis, spas and bar hopping but we would wait until Karen and Angela were with us to finalize our plans.

By the time we arrived at the two-story house, the sun had already begun to set. We unloaded our stuff from the car and let ourselves into the house with the spare key I fished out of Renee's flower pot. I took them upstairs to organize our sleeping arrangements. As there were only three bedrooms, we decided that Liz and Ryan would take one room, Zach and Taylor would take another while I would share Phil and Renee's room with Karen and Angela as it was the largest. Liz and Ryan made a beeline for what they called the better room. Zach shoved Taylor out of the way and ran down the hallway saying he called dibs on the bed. Taylor rolled his eyes at me then followed behind him while I dragged my suitcases into my room to unpack. I called Charlie and Renee to let them know we got in all right.

By the time I finished unpacking and made my way downstairs, the gang was already in the kitchen. I smiled at the sight of everyone making themselves at home. Liz was passing out sandwiches, Zach was rummaging through the refrigerator and Taylor and Ryan were eating at the table. I sat down at the table and took the offered sandwich from Liz.

Liz sat down next to me. "So what time tomorrow will Angela and Karen get here?"

"I think sometime around ten or so. Can't wait, huh?" I smiled around my sandwich. I was excited to see Angela too.

"You know it. There are so many things I want us to do together. I want us to have some real girl time." Liz was starting to bounce again and Ryan shook his head.

"Man, I feel sorry for you, Izzy. You don't want to know what she has planned for you guys." Taylor laughed softly and I frowned. I knew that laugh. That laugh usually meant something really unpleasant was coming my way.

I turned to Ryan with a pleading look. "Come on. You have to tell me what she's planning. At least give me a hint. Please?" Ryan was truly like my big brother. I turned on my puppy eyes and he looked ready to cave. He opened his mouth to tell me but took one glance at a murderous looking Liz and closed his mouth.

Liz gave him a satisfied nod then got up and went to the sink.

Ryan glanced at her back and quickly said, "I'll only give you a hint. It's got something to do with hair."

Liz spun around and snapped, "Ryan!"

He was instantly intimidated and looked down at his plate. "Yes, ma'am." Laughter broke out at Ryan's expense. His fear of Liz was always a source of amusement because she was half his size. My laughter died down as she turned her glare on me. Hell, I was afraid of her too. What kind of torture could she be planning that had to do with hair? Maybe Ryan meant going to a hair salon. But even though it wasn't at the top of my favorite list of things, it didn't sound awful.

Zach passed me a note on a small piece of paper. "It's from your Mom."

I took it from him and read it out loud. "Hi baby. I hope you and your friends enjoy your vacation. Help yourself to whatever's in the fridge. I went grocery shopping, so the cupboards are stocked. The cookies I baked are in the jar on the counter. Have a good time. Mom."

From the moment Ryan heard the word cookies, he was up in a flash. "Cookies. Dude score!" Before I could warn Ryan, he was already sitting at the table scarfing them down.

Ryan's face went from heaven to disgust. "Oh God... It's awful." He spit it out the cookies into a napkin. He made a face and stuck out his tongue. I tried to hold back my giggles. Renee's cookies really hadn't improved at all over the years.

Taylor frowned. "I'm sure you're just exaggerating. Here I'll try one." He reached out, took a cookie and popped it in his mouth. After a few chews he grimaced. "Izzy, I'm sorry but he's right." At least Taylor was diplomatic enough to swallow what he had in his mouth.

Liz laughed loudly, "Serves you right, Mr. Big Mouth."

"God, how do you mess up cookies?" Zach wanted to know.

I couldn't hold in my giggles anymore. "I'm sorry, Ryan, but I tried to warn you. I was the one in charge of all the cooking when I was growing up." I got up, took the jar from him and emptied the contents into the trash. I planned to tell Renee the cookies went bad.

After dinner we spent the evening laughing up a storm while watching Family Guy. I really loved the baby. He was a riot. Soon enough my yawns got the better of me and I said goodnight to gang and dragged myself up the stairs to my room. As I was about to close my door I saw Ryan in the hall.

I frowned and my hand paused on the door. "Hey Ryan. I didn't see you there. Did you want something?"

He smiled shyly and I raised an eyebrow. Since when was Ryan ever shy? "No. I just wanted to ask you to be a little patient with Liz. You see, this girl time thing is really important to her because she never got to do that stuff when she was growing up. All she had was Taylor and me. She really looks at you as a sister and I know she can go a little crazy sometimes but she means well."

I smiled. "Okay. I'll _try_ not to run screaming from whatever she has planned for me."

He laughed. "That's all I ask. Goodnight." He went back downstairs and I closed the door.

As I changed into my pajamas I thought about what Ryan said and smiled. It was so cute how protective he was of Liz. He was worried I wouldn't react well to her plans and hurt her feelings. I didn't know she felt that way about me. A best friend maybe but not sister. Thinking back on things I realized Liz was always insisting we do stuff together like jogging, shopping and one time she even talked me into letting her do my hair. I never had a sister but if I did I would want her to be just like Liz. She was brave, funny, smart, tough as nails yet sensitive enough to know when not to push. I would try not to give Liz a hard time with whatever she had planned for us. I stretched and turned off the bedside lamp then drifted off to sleep.

I awoke the following morning around nine. My sleep had been restless as I kept having strange dreams where I was in a forest with a huge hour glass. What did that mean? I untangled myself from the covers and walked into Phil and Renee's bathroom where I brushed my teeth and took a shower. I dressed in a t-shirt and some shorts. I couldn't wait to go outside and sit on the beach. Staring out the window I could see that the weather was beautiful and sunny. I could even see the beach in the distance. I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. Even though it was empty I could already hear the gang starting to stir upstairs.

I decided to get a start on breakfast. I turn on the coffee maker and put some bread slices in the toaster. Then I went to the refrigerator and took out the milk and eggs. I opened the cupboard and stood on my toes trying to reach a box of cereal in the back.

I muttered, "Crap." My stretching had turned into hopping when I heard a deep chuckle from behind me. I spun around to see an amused Taylor leaning against the kitchen wall.

His eyes twinkled mischievously. "Need any help?"

I placed my hands on my hips and huffed. "If you wouldn't mind. Or are you too busy enjoying the show?"

He languidly eyed my exposed legs and raised an eyebrow. "Indeed."

I blushed. "That's enough out of you. Now get to work on the pancakes."

He pushed himself off the wall and took down the cereal. "Aren't we bossy this morning?" He went to work on the pancake batter.

"Oh, shut up." I set the table and poured orange juice in the glasses.

After Taylor finished the pancakes and I placed them on plates, I hollered up the stairs, "Breakfast!"

Seconds later Ryan and Zach ran into the kitchen jostling each other with Liz rolling her eyes behind them.

As we sat down at the table Ryan gushed, "Aw…thanks for breakfast, mom and dad." Zach choked while drinking his orange juice and Liz giggled.

Taylor laughed. "Mom and dad, huh? So what would that make you guys?"

"I think Ryan and Zach would be your kids and I would be Izzy's attractive sister." Liz flipped her hair and dramatically fluttered her eyelashes.

"Kid? Forget that. I'm dirty Uncle Zach. You know the one who can't be left alone with the teenage girls. Yep, that's me." Zach grinned lecherously.

Liz and I wrinkled our noses at him then busted up laughing. The playful banter continued throughout our breakfast and Liz helped me with the dishes while the guys were watching TV.

We were drying the last dish when I heard loud car honking. I rushed outside to see a taxi coming up the street and Angela hanging out the window. I heard the gang behind me as I walked down the steps.

The taxi stopped and Angela came barreling out of it. She screamed, "Bella!"

I was knocked into the grass as she collided with me. I laughed, "Jeez, Angela. Are you trying to kill me?"

"Sorry about that. I'm just so happy to see you." She beamed and helped me up. "Wow, you look great." She leaned in and wrapped her arms around me in a hug.

I blushed slightly and hugged her back. "Thanks, so do you." I pulled away and looked at Angela closely. She looked different without her glasses. She told me she decided to wear contacts instead soon after coming to Florida. Her black hair hung in waves around her head and she wore blue jeans and a green blouse. She looked happy. It was so good to see somebody from my past.

She introduced me the girl standing next to her. "This is Karen. Karen, meet my friend from high school, Bella." Karen was from Manhattan. She was a slender, attractive girl with sleek, black bob cut hair that framed intelligent looking grey eyes.

Karen extended her hand and I shook it. "Hi Karen."

"So you're _the_ Bella, huh?" Karen asked and I threw a confused glance at Angela wondering what she'd told her about me. But before I could ask I remembered the gang observing our greeting and decided to introduce them.

I turned and pointed them out. "Angela and Karen, these are my friends Liz, Taylor, Ryan and Zach." Everyone said their hellos and we helped them move their suitcases into the bedroom.

Angela and Karen changed in to their shorts and t-shirts. We decided to take a walk outside and check out the beach. I dug around the house and found some beach chairs and two beach umbrellas. We grabbed our towels, sun block lotion and set out for the beach. There were a few people on the beach. Some were swimming, some were running around playing and others were just relaxing. The girls and I decided to do the latter while the boys went over to join a group of guys playing football on the beach.

We spread our towels, stuck our umbrellas in the sand and settled into the chairs. I looked out at the crashing waves and sighed in contentment. This was exactly what I needed. The other girls were talking and getting to know each other but I wasn't really paying attention to them. However, I did overhear their plans to visit a spa the following day. Our attention was then drawn to the guys playing football and what a show that was. Angela and Karen were practically drooling. All of the boys had taken off their shirts and were throwing a football around. We were mesmerized by the sea of rippling muscles, glistening with sweat.

"Oh wow. Would you look at that? What an impressive display of man candy." Angela let out a hum of appreciation.

I gasped. "Angela." I looked at her in amazement. This was not the shy bookworm from high school.

She turned to me completely unashamed. "What? Just look at them. They're freaking hot." She gestured with her hand and giggled.

Liz only managed an, "Uh-huh." Her eyes were glazed over as she stared at Ryan's chest. I think they would have self destructed if they ever saw the pack shirtless together.

Karen decided to get down to business. She turned to look at Liz and me. "Okay. So, which of the three are yours? I'd like know before I make my move." I saw Zach grinning at us. He was aware of our ogling and loved it.

I turned to Angela and raised an eyebrow. "Is she for real?"

Angela cackled, "Oh, you have no idea."

Liz snorted, "Please, you could take them all off our hands." Her gaze turned contemplative then she replied. "On second thought, the big one, Ryan, is mine. So beware because I ain't afraid to cut a heifer." She smiled but the threat was still evident in her eyes.

Karen's eyes widened and she raised her hands in surrender. "Okay. Warning received." She turned to me. "What about you?"

Before I could open my mouth to answer, Liz cut me off. "Oh, Izzy doesn't date. She's still in mourning over her ex-boyfriend, Jacob Black."

I shot Liz an annoyed glare and Angela's head snapped in my direction. "What? Jacob Black? The native kid? Is he the reason you left Edward?"

I cringed when I met Liz's inquisitive gaze. "Edward? Who's Edward?" I still hadn't told the gang about my relationship with Edward and the Cullens and I wasn't ready to discuss the whole thing at that moment.

I clammed up and Liz knew my reaction meant she wouldn't get anything out of me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Angela mouth a 'sorry' at me.

Thankfully Karen diverted our attention back to the boys. "So I guess the other two are free game." She turned back to look at the guys with a hunter's gleam in her eyes. Liz and I giggled. It would be fun to see her try to bag and tag one of them. Zach would be an easy conquest. He was such a slut. Taylor, on the other hand might present more of a challenge. I looked at the powerful lines of his body, the definition of his stomach and arms and thought to myself. Taylor's looks and introverted personality might have made him the ultimate hunter's prize in Karen's eyes.

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**A/N:Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Now I want to reassure you guys that I have plans to move my story back to the J/B section in the move is just a temporary one.**

**Let me know what you think of Angela's roommate, Karen. She's a forward one.**

**Don't worry I won't leave you hanging with Jacob's POV. I'm working on his chapter as I write this.  
**

**Coming up next Bella has a hair raising experience.**

**If you want your chapter early you know what to do. Review!  
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	13. We are the Champions

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
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**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you guys for all the alerts and thank you to my reviewers.  
**

**I'm wrapping up Bella's vacation in this chapter !  
**

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Chapter 13

The following morning I woke up with a cramp in my neck. When my mind was able to properly register my surroundings, I realized why. I was currently being sandwiched by Angela and Karen on the bed. I didn't get a full nights rest as Angela was a restless sleeper and Karen's knee seemed permanently lodged in my back. I was about to climb over Angela to get off the bed when the door burst open and Liz came flying in. She didn't even pause to look before she dove on the bed, or more accurately, on me and the still sleeping girls.

I heard a muffled curse come out of Karen and Angela moaned, "Oh god, my spleen."

Liz was unperturbed by our response. "Come on, girls. You don't want to be late for our Girls Day Out!" To say Liz was excited would be an understatement. Liz beamed from ear to ear as she bounced on us.

"Oh crud, Liz. Do you think you could turn down the volume a few notches?" I said while trying to untangle myself from the mass of limbs.

"Less talking, more moving." She hopped off the bed and began poking us. In the end, we were left with no other choice but to get up. I made a bee line for the bathroom but before I was able to reach the door a breeze that was Karen blew past me and the door slammed in my face.

Angela chuckled when Karen spoke through the door. "Sorry, Bella, but I really gotta pee."

I rolled my eyes. For the first time I was grateful I grew up as an only child. I stepped out of the room and used the bathroom across the hall instead. After we took turns bathing and changing. We made our way downstairs for breakfast. The boys were already up and had breakfast lay out on the table.

Liz crooned. "Aw, that's so sweet. You guys made breakfast for us."

Taylor snorted, "Not really, they just want to get you out of the house as soon as possible."

As we sat down to eat, I didn't miss when Karen almost ran Angela over to sit in the chair next to Taylor. Angela ended up sitting next to me and Liz stifled a giggle. Taylor raised an inquiring eyebrow at me and I smiled. _Let games begin._

As we were leaving the house Ryan shouted, "Have fun at the spa." He turned me and whispered. "Thanks for doing this, Izzy. It means a lot to Liz." I smiled.

We took the car and drove to the Serenity Day Spa where we would be spending the day. Liz already had us signed up for the Full Spectrum of Beauty Treatment. I found out as we were having a hydrotherapy soak that we would be there for six hours.

I groaned and sunk even further into the water. Liz and Karen were chatting together when Angela turned to me. "So you want to tell me about what happened with Jacob." She made sure to keep her voice low.

I slid a quick glance at Liz. Seeing that she was preoccupied talking to Karen, I answered, "I realized it would never work out with me being away at college and him still in high school. I thought it would be best to end things." I decided to keep my answer short.

Angela was still very perceptive. She looked like she wanted to say something but changed her mind. Instead she said, "You know, you've changed."

I was surprised, "Changed? Changed how?"

"I mean you're more relaxed and you smile more. Back in Forks, you were always so tense and unhappy. Even when you were with Edward." She threw a pointed glance at Liz. "You've let yourself get close to new people. The old Bella would have never let anyone in." Angela was right. I was so caught up in Edward that there just wasn't room for anyone else. So I never made any effort to really know anyone.

She took a sip of her champagne. "You know you've changed too. You seem so confident and I didn't know you drank." I motion to the glass in her hand. I knew her preacher father would flip his wig if he knew.

She laughed. "Bella, college is the place to try new things and be a different person. You know why I'm so glad I came to Florida?"

I shook my head, "No, why?"

"Because to me it was a fresh start. Nobody has to know that I was the shy, bookworm with nerdy glasses in high school. Here I get the chance to reinvent myself and meet new people. You know what I mean?"

I smiled. "Yes, I do." And I really did too. If I had married Edward like I was so determined to, I would have been a vampire, forever unable to change or go out into the sunlight. I wouldn't have met my friends or been able to experience college as an ordinary girl.

Suddenly I remembered Karen's reaction upon meeting me. "Hey, what did you tell Karen about me?" I was curious about Karen's statement.

Angela grinned sheepishly. "Nothing bad. I just told her that you managed to snag the most unattainable guy in our school. When I told her that, your cool factor went through the roof. She's all about the hunt."

"Karen's kind of …" _A piranha._ I didn't want to offend Angela by bad mouthing her friend.

Angela rolled her eyes and sighed, "Yeah, I know. But she makes me laugh."

The rest of our spa visit consisted of hot stone messages, facials, manicures and pedicures with a pause in between for a gourmet lunch. We had a lot of fun laughing and giggling. Karen was like a female version of Zach. She flirted with every cute guy in the spa. All in all, Girls Day Out really wasn't so bad .I was feeling pretty relaxed by the end of it and I'd even forgotten Ryan's cryptic warning.

After our pedicures Liz glanced at the clock then turned to us. "Okay, girls. It's time for our bikini wax."

"Wait, what?" I was on instant alert. Suddenly I remembered Ryan's hint, Taylor's pity filled looks and Zach snickering. The bastards knew about this.

"Our bikini wax, silly. You don't want to look like you have Chewbacca stuffed in your crotch when wearing your bikini, do you?" Karen nodded in agreement with Liz.

I gave a tortured groan. Why did women sign themselves up for that punishment? "What's wrong with shaving?"

The three girls were aghast and Liz looked at me with dawning realization in her eyes. "You've never waxed before, have you?" I shook my head. She grabbed my hand and tugged me into a room. "We are so doing this. I'll come in with you"

Angela and Karen giggled behind me and I threw them a mean look over my shoulders. _Bitches_.

A kind mannered lady was waiting for me. The tag on her uniform indicated that her name was Min. "Please put these on and hop on the table and lay down." She handed me a pair of disposable panties and I slipped them on.

I climbed on the table and lay down. Min parted my robe then she placed powder on the area. I felt a little self conscious having a strange lady's hand on my crotch. Liz held one of my hands. The aesthetician applied some warm wax then a strip. _Well this wasn't so bad_. I thought to myself until she pulled the strip off along with my hair. _RIP!_

I yelped when I felt a sharp pain. Oh dear God, it was awful. My vision returned as I blinked away my tears and I saw Liz trying to stifle her laughter.

I moaned pitifully, "Stop laughing, you bitch."

Min and Liz both burst out laughing when I said that. I couldn't help but laugh at myself. It wasn't hard to find the hilarity in my situation. After my unpleasant experience I sat outside and waited for the others to finish their waxes. I would not be in a hurry to revisit bikini waxing anytime soon.

Afterwards, we gingerly made our way into the minivan and drove home. I was still feeling surly about the whole hair ripping encounter and I decided that the first guy to mouth off to me about it would get decked. When we got back to the house as we made our way to the living room I was greeted by a smiling Zach, "Hey Izzy. Did you do something with your hair? It looks nice."

He didn't even see my fist coming as I punched him in the gut. He doubled over in pain. "What did I say?" My hand hurt but it was totally worth it. I crawled to the couch and sat down.

I heard Ryan laughing, "Dude, that was harsh." His laugh was cut off by the sound of Liz smacking him in the back of the head. I guess we were all a little cranky. At least Taylor had the good sense to remain silent.

Angela moaned as she sat down. "Thank you, Liz."

"So what do you girls have planned for tonight?" Ryan asked cautiously.

Liz sat next to me and laid her head on my lap. "I was thinking we could just hang out and do nothing. I'm so tired."

"I agree with that plan. We'll need all the rest we could get because tomorrow we have to go shopping. We're all going to a karaoke bar later." Karen added. She kept sneaking glances at Taylor.

"What did you guys do today?" I kicked off my shoes.

"We went down to that water sports place and rented some jet skis. We spent the entire day in the water." Ryan sat on the floor next to Liz and rubbed her feet. I smiled at the scene.

Taylor walked around the couch and sat on the armrest next to me. "We bought Chinese food earlier. It's in the kitchen. Do you want me to bring you some?" He asked me.

I shook my head. "Um, no thanks. I'm still full from that big lunch we had today." I saw Karen pout and Angela hide a smile. I didn't see what the big deal was. Taylor always did stuff like that for me. I hoped they didn't read too much into it.

We spent the rest of the night lying around on the floor watching TV. The girls decided to put pillows and blankets on the floor and sleep in the living room. Ryan grumbled because he had to sleep alone but I knew underneath he was glad that Liz was getting her 'girl time.'

* * *

"Hold still, Izzy. You don't want me to burn you, right?" Liz said, as she ran the flat iron through a sectioned off part of my hair.

She then spritzed some styling spray in my hair and stepped away admiring her masterpiece. "Perfect." I ran my fingers through my straightened hair. It was a new look for me and I liked it. I wasn't wearing much makeup as I didn't want to overdo it. Just some mascara and lip gloss.

Liz looked beautiful with her hair in curls. Her long legs made even longer by the six inch heels she wore. I was amazed at how easily she balanced in those things. She wore red top and black skin tight pants.

"So what's going on between you and Taylor?" Karen was sitting on the bed. She crossed one tanned leg over the other as she peered at me. She was wearing a short skirt and a thin strap top. In the corner of my eye I saw Liz and Angela exchange smirks.

"What do you mean? Nothing's going on. We're friends, that's all." I stood up and straightened my blouse.

She studied me with her grey eyes. "You see, the reason I asked is because you two seem couplish."

"Couplish? Is that even a word?" I carefully turned to look at her. I was still a little unsteady in the kitten heels Liz forced me to wear.

Angela laughed, "It is to her. She makes up words all the time."

"Well, I don't know how it seems to other people but we're just friends. Tell her Liz." I turned to Liz for support.

Liz rolled her eyes and sighed, "Yes, they're friends. _Just friends_." She sounded slightly annoyed.

"So you wouldn't mind at all if I made a play for him?" Karen gave me a sly look that I didn't like at all.

It was almost a year since I last saw him but Jacob Black was still the only man I dreamed about. "Knock yourself out." I answered while trying to keep my annoyance out of voice. Karen made it seem as if there was something going on with Taylor and me but there wasn't. I bet Taylor would have been irritated too if he overheard our conversation. I was sure he dated even if I never saw or heard anything about his girlfriends. I was of the firm belief that men and women could be friends without things getting sexual.

Our conversation was interrupted by Ryan's yelling from downstairs. "God, are you girls ready yet?!"

Liz yelled back, "All right, caveman. We're coming down now."

We made our way down the stairs to where the boys were waiting by the door. Ryan embraced Liz and whispered something perverted, in her ear. All the boys' head turned to look at me and I nervously tucked my hair behind my ear.

Zach was the first one to speak. "Love the hair, Izzy. You look hot." He grinned as he looked me up and down while tugging on my hair.

I blushed and slapped his hand away. "Avert your eyes, pervert."

Everyone laughed and I heard Taylor say to me, "You look beautiful."

A quick glance at Karen confirmed that she was watching our interaction. I didn't want to give her anymore ideas so I mumbled a quick 'thanks' and left it at that. Taylor frowned but didn't add anything else.

We decide to drive the distance to the bar instead of walking there. Personally I would have preferred to walk. I needed something to calm my nerves. Liz was determined that I go up on stage with them to sing and I was not looking forward to it.

It was the weekend, so Pete's Karaoke Bar had a great turn out. It was wonderful for the owner of the bar, but not so great for me. Liz insisted we sign up early before all the good songs were taken. I opted to pick a song that I was familiar with. I'd sung it a few times around the apartment and I didn't sound too bad.

We sat in our seats and I noticed Karen was in full hunter mode as she grabbed a chair next to Taylor. Angela and I exchanged looks. Poor Taylor had no idea what was coming his way tonight. I saw the song Karen picked and I couldn't wait to watch the carnage.

I tried not to cringe as an obviously drunk man performed his rendition of _Don't Stop Believing_. Oh it was awful as his voice was terribly off-key. I sipped my beer, hoping to relieve some of my tension. Liz had no idea how close I was to freaking out. Singing on a stage in front of strangers was not on my list of fun things to do. I feared I would be blinded by the stage's bright lights, trip and fall off the stage. Thereby, completely humiliating myself.

I turned to Liz with fear in my eyes. "Liz, I don't think this is a good idea. I'll die up there."

"Way to be dramatic, Izzy. Just have some more beer. It'll calm your nerves." I didn't look convinced and she sighed, "This is just for fun. No one here expects you to be the next Pink. Just listen to that up there." She gestured to the woman sing _I Will Always Love You_ and cringed. "I've heard you singing around the apartment and you sounded way better than her. Time to be brave, Izzy." She patted my arm and sipped her beer.

I groaned. I didn't want to be brave. Being a coward suited me just fine. My stomach was in knots and I was beginning to feel slightly nauseous. I looked at the boys as they laughed and joked with each other. They were all having fun.

Sensing my discomfort Angela nudged me with her elbow and whispered. "Remember, we here to try new things. Just give it a try, Bella." I didn't trust my voice so I nodded yes instead.

Before I knew it Ryan was up on stage singing _Wild Thing._ A song I was sure he picked for Liz. He was a little off key at times but it was so cute to watch him serenade her. When it was Zach's turn, he brought the house down with his song, _Mustang Sally_. He flirted with the women at the front of the stage as he performed, wildly gyrating his hips. Taylor's honey voice had the women screaming as he sang _Hey Jude_. There were times when Angela and I thought Karen was going to throw her panties at him.

Angela was a little flirtatious when she performed _Barbie Girl._ Karen, Liz and I laughed and danced in our seats. I was beginning to feel more at ease. I almost peed myself when Karen performed _Like a Virgin_. She sidled off the stage and right up to where a worried looking Taylor sat. As Karen performed, she trailed her fingers up his arm and along his shoulders. Ryan and Zach were beside themselves with laughter. I really had to give it to Karen. She was really a balls out kind of girl. When she saw something she wanted and went after it. Even though, judging by Taylor's reaction, she wasn't having much luck.

As the song ended and Karen went to return the microphone to the stage, Taylor glanced at me with a raised eyebrow as if to say, _what was that?_ Then his eyes narrowed slightly and I knew that meant, _you could have warned me_.

I answered him with a shoulder shrug and an evil smirk which meant, _I could have warned you but this way was funnier_. I looked away to see Angela watching our interaction with a small smile. But before I could ask her about it, it was my turn on stage.

I carefully made my way to the stage. All the while praying I wouldn't trip. I took the microphone in my hands and faced the crowd. Feeling all eyes on me, I nodded to the music guy and the song started. I took a deep breath and began to sing.

_One, two, three, four  
Tell me that you love me more  
Sleepless long nights  
That is what my youth was for_

_Old teenage hopes are alive at your door  
Left you with nothing but they want some more_

_Oh, you're changing your heart  
Oh, You know who you are_

_Sweetheart bitterheart now I can't tell you apart  
Cosy and cold, put the horse before the cart_

_Those teenage hopes who have tears in their eyes  
Too scared to own up to one little lie_

_Oh, you're changing your heart  
Oh, you know who you are_

_One, two, three, four, five, six, nine, or ten  
Money can't buy you back the love that you had then  
One, two, three, four, five, six, nine, or ten  
Money can't buy you back the love that you had then_

_Oh, you're changing your heart  
Oh, you know who you are  
Oh, you're changing your heart  
Oh, you know who you are  
Oh, who you are_

_For the teenage boys  
They're breaking your heart  
For the teenage boys  
They're breaking your heart_

As I finished my song there was clapping and whistling from my friends and other people in the bar. I was relieved they liked my singing. As I made my way back to our table, my cheeks were flushed with embarrassment and joy. I couldn't believe it was possible to feel so high from doing something that terrified you. The feeling of being up on stage was incredible.

Before I could sit down Angela jumped up and hugged me "I knew you could do it." She whispered. I returned to my seat between a grinning Liz and an ecstatic Angela and took a large gulp of my beer.

Ryan was his usual eloquent self. "Holy shit! Why didn't you tell us you could sing, Izzy?"

I tucked my hair behind my ear and laughed, "I'm not that good. It's no big deal."

Zach shook his head, he still looked amazed. "No big deal? Did you hear yourself out there? You totally owned that song."

"Your voice is beautiful. You are full of surprises, Isabella." Taylor complimented me and I saw Karen pouting once again.

I mumbled thanks and gratefully our food finally arrived. I dug into my fries and took in the rest of the acts on stage. After a few minutes Liz turned to me. "You were great. You know that right?"

I laughed, "Thanks but don't think you can get me to do that again."

Suddenly an evil grin spread across her face and I gulped. That was the look Liz got whenever she was told she wouldn't be able to do something. "Oh yeah? Well, you're coming up to sing with Ryan and me right now." She grabbed my arm and one minute later I was back on stage again singing _Love Shack_ with her and Ryan. The whole time I was embarrassed but I had to admit I still enjoyed myself. Angela was right, it was fun to try new things.

* * *

We spent most of our days relaxing at the beach. The girls and I usually wore our bikinis but today we were donned in shorts and tank tops. Today was supposed to be the day we play touch football with the guys. All the girls groaned as we shuffled onto the beach with our shoulders already slumped in defeat. None of us except for Liz, wanted to play but it was the agreed payment for making them watch _27 Dresses_ with us_._ Most of us knew little about the game but Liz was practically a pro. It came from all her years of attending Ryan's games.

When we arrived at a secluded spot on the beach, the guys along with two unfamiliar guys were waiting for us. I recognized them as the guys they hung out with whenever they played football.

Ryan and Zach were team captains. Liz, Ryan, Alan and I were on one team and Taylor, Zach, David and Karen were on the other. Angela opted to sit on the beach and cheer us on. We huddled and discussed our game plan. I didn't understand a lot of it but Liz was hyped. "Let's do this!"

As we went to our positions (I had to be told where mine was) I shouted to the other team. "Remember people. This is_ touch_ football so please, nothing hardcore." I made sure to stress the touch part. My tiny body would not be able to withstand strength of their blocks if they were to come at me full force.

"Don't worry, sweetness, I'll be sure to touch you gently." David said as he boldly looked me up and down. I had the sneaking suspicion that I wouldn't only be trying to prevent injury to my body. I would also be fighting to keep David's hands off of me. He wasn't a bad looking guy but the fact that he was blatantly eye-humping me made me a little uncomfortable.

I was at a loss for words when Taylor answered in a clipped tone, "Right. I don't think so." David raised an eyebrow at him and next to me Liz snickered. I snuck a peek at Karen to see what her reaction was but she was too busy flirting with Alan. Ever since our karaoke night at the bar she hadn't made anymore advances toward Taylor. She told us that he had already been poached. Whatever the hell that meant.

We all started to play, on Zach's call. Karen caught the ball when he threw it to her. But as she made a dash for the touchdown she took one look at a scary looking Ryan heading her way, ditched the ball and ran away. Ryan scooped up the ball then took off running with Zach on his tail and blew past the designated goal line.

After thirty minutes of play, we were tied. We team met in our huddle and Ryan worked out our game plan. "Okay, Izzy, I'm gonna throw the ball to you and you're gonna run it to the goal line. Okay?"

I was startled. "Wait, what? Why do you want to give the ball to me?" I didn't want to be the one to blow the game for us.

His gaze was intense. Football really brought out his competitive side. "Because that's the last thing they would expect us to do." Ryan explained and I agreed. It was a brilliant plan. No one would expect them to give me the ball because I was the weakest link on the team. But I was a little concerned. The person with the ball usually got tackled and these guys played kind of rough.

Liz slapped me hard on my back. "Kick ass, Izzy." I smiled at Liz. Her enthusiasm was contagious.

Ryan tossed the ball to me and by a miracle I caught it. I dashed down the beach. Taking a moment to glance at my peripherals, I spotted Taylor hot on my trail and cursed. _Holy hell, he's fast_. When his hand grazed my shoulder, I discerned that I wouldn't be able to make it across the goal line. Liz was open so I decided to get the ball to her before Taylor took me down. As I spun on my heel and threw the ball at Liz, Taylor knocked me into the sand. With his momentum Taylor wasn't able to stop in time and I grunted as he fell on me.

He raised himself up on his hands and peered down on me. "Are you okay?"

"I think you're crushing my pancreas." I lied. He was too close for comfort and it was starting to freak me out.

"Oh, sorry." He quickly scrambled off me. As he helped me to my feet, I busied myself with dusting the sand off my clothes. Liz had managed to hold on to the ball.

Ryan had called a time out and we returned to our huddle. "Okay, I want us to run the same play as last time. Izzy gets the ball."

I groaned, "Are you sure that's a good idea?" I was tired and out of breath.

"They won't see it coming." Ryan panted.

"Fine, but you guys have to keep them off me." _Especially Taylor._ I wasn't in the mood to be slammed into the ground again.

Liz grinned, "Don't worry. Ryan won't let him get to you this time." I hoped that meant they had a secret plan.

We left the huddle and took our positions. Ryan tossed me the ball and I caught it again. As I sprinted down the beach I heard Angela cheering me on, "Run Bella, run!"

I was quickly running out of steam and then Taylor was on my tail again. But just as he was about to reach me, Ryan came out of nowhere and slammed into him. They both went down and I was able to cross the goal line.

I couldn't believe it. We won the game. Liz ran to me screaming and we jumped up and down. We did a chest bump and I did a victory dance. Alan patted me on the back then Ryan threw me over his shoulder and ran down the beach hollering. He finally set me down and we were all laughing so hard, it was difficult to catch our breath. I collapsed in the sand and the others followed suit.

While everyone talked to each other, I looked at the waves and allowed my mind to wonder to another not so sunny beach, hundreds of miles away. I tried to figure out what Leah meant by 'pack business.' I was jolted out of my reverie by Liz calling my name.

"Hey Izzy? Are you ready to head back to the house?"

I looked around to see the others were already walking back. "Sure." I pushed myself off the ground and walked back to the house with her. I had no energy left. All I wanted to do was have a bath followed by a long nap. The other team threw sand at us as we sang _We are the Champions_.

I was sad when our vacation came to an end and we had to say goodbye to Angela and Karen. Even though we had so much fun in Florida, I was a little anxious to head home to Hanover.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. The song Bella sang is '1234' by Feist.**

**Hope you guys weren't disappointed that Bella wasn't jealous because Karen was flirting with Taylor.**

**Bella's not ready to look at someone else like that just yet. Jacob Black is a hard man to get over.**

**That waxing scene was fun to write as well as the football scene. Let me know how you guys liked it.  
**

**Coming up next is another chapter in Jacob's POV.**

**You know what to do if you want your chapter early . Review!  
**


	14. I am Alpha,Hear me Roar!

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you guys for all the alerts and thank you to my reviewers.I really enjoy reading what you guys have to say.**

**I decided to post this chapter early for you guys! Enjoy!**

To AugustFirst-check your site mail.

To MissJacobPaul-I really look forward to your reviews and since you don't have an FF account, I have to give you a shout out here! I'm so glad you enjoy reading Bella's story.

* * *

Chapter 14

JPOV

Two weeks had passed since I issued my challenge to Sam. I spent those weeks mediating and learning about our legends. I don't think anyone had any real doubt as to whether or not I would become Alpha. The only real uncertainty was if I would be forced to kill Sam to accomplish that. None of the Elders could predict what would happen during the challenge.

During those two weeks, Sam and I were not allowed to patrol together, for fear that we would antagonize each other causing a fight to ensue. Ever since the battle of the newborns, we hadn't encountered any vampires. However, there was still plenty to concern the Elders. New trails headed in a direction away from the reservation surfaced. And more alarming, new wolves continued to phase. Colin and Brady were the latest to join the pack and we saw signs in at least two more kids that were due to phase. Something was coming but no one knew what it was.

All of the wolves were on edge as the night of the challenge grew closer. Sam and I still spoke to each other but our conversations were tense and uneasy. Nevertheless, Emily was polite toward me but I could tell under the smiles and understanding looks, she was terrified. To tell you the truth, I was a little scared too. I knew I had to do what needed to be done but I didn't know how I would handle my guilt if I ended up killing Sam.

Talking to my dad, I asked him if there was any way at all to stop myself from killing Sam. His only answer was to try to find some way to hold on to my humanity. I had no understanding whatsoever of what he meant. How on earth did he expect me to hold onto my humanity after I gave myself over completely to the wolf? Could it even be done?

The night of the challenge had finally arrived. The Elders and the pack were gathered in a large clearing deep in the woods. There were torches lit around the clearing and the Elders stood on one end while the pack positioned themselves on the other side. The Elders were dressed in their ceremonial beads and gowns while the pack wore their usual cut off shorts. Only Sam and I were to be phased during the battle. The other wolves were only to watch and would not be allowed to intervene no matter what happened.

Sam and I were standing naked in the middle of the clearing facing each other. Our eyes were fixed on each other and our bodies shook with fury as our inner wolves snarled and begged to be released. An unnaturally cold wind blew through the trees. The air was thick with expectation and I felt as if our ancestors were also in attendance.

I heard Old Quil's voice. "You may begin!"

I felt my bones cracking as I let the heat consume me. Sam and I ran for each other at full speed shaking the forest with each step. The sound of our collision sent forest creatures scampering for safety. Sam and I rolled around on the floor clawing and snapping at each other. I tried to remember that he was my brother, my mentor but all I could feel was the rage coursing through my veins.

I howled as Sam swiped me across my chest with his paw. The hatred I felt as I sank my teeth into his back shocked me. The urge to hurt him, maim him was so strong. Sam's thoughts were along the same lines. He wanted to make me pay for challenging his authority. He longed to put me in my place.

We rolled away and circled each other. As we lunged for one another again, Sam tried to get the upper hand by going for my neck. Whether his intention was to kill or to just cause harm, I don't know. I was filled with fury as I pulled back and head butted him. I saw stars as the pain exploded in my head but it was completely worth it when I saw him staggering from the blow. I didn't give him time to recover as I pounced on him, throwing him off balance. He howled in pain as I dug my claws into his side and sank my teeth into his shoulder. He whimpered in pain and tired to throw me off but my strength was immeasurable.

I was insane with bloodlust as the words _rip, bleed, kill_ pounded in my mind over and over. I wanted to break every bone on his body. Sam howled again as I landed another bite closer to his neck. Every time he yelped or howled in pain, it was music to my ears. He fought me as best he could but it was useless. He was in too much pain and his strength was waning. Sam lay still, panting beneath me but I was too far gone to care. Lowering my mouth to his neck with the intent to rip out his jugular, I couldn't summon one ounce of compassion in me. My wolf viewed him as nothing more than a threat.

As I began to sink my teeth into his throat for the last time, his eyes opened and focused on me. I froze. _What am I doing?_ Sam was my friend, my brother and my mentor. I couldn't kill him. He wasn't even fighting back anymore. To kill him like that would be inexcusable. I wasn't a monster. I raised my head slightly. My intent was to back off but first there was the matter of his stepping down.

_Do you yield?_ He had to say it. My wolf needed to hear the words.

_What?_ Sam panted and shook his head trying to clear the red haze from his mind.

_Do you submit?!_ I asked forcefully and dug my claws further into his side.

_Yes, I submit. I relinquish all claims to the Alpha position._ Sam then exposed his side and belly to me as a sign of his acquiescence.

With those words uttered I felt a change. Like something shifted inside me. I felt stronger, my instincts sharper and a startling new ferocity. It was a heady feeling. The power literally went straight to my head and I let loose a bone chilling howl.

Feeling stunned, I stepped away from Sam. I'd done it. I was Alpha and I'd managed to stop myself from killing Sam. Bella would be proud. Just thinking about her made my heart ache but this time it was a manageable pain. I'd found a new sense of purpose. I had a job, responsibilities and people counting on me.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice the pack and Elders making their way across the clearing. The pack removed their clothes then phased. They approached me keeping their bodies low to the ground and their ears flattened in a show of active submission.

Their minds were curiously blank as if they were waiting for an order. Then my dad spoke. "My son, you have won the challenge. You are now Alpha but there is one more thing you have to do. You must go on a vision quest to seek the Great Wolf's blessing." His eyes shone with pride and unshed tears.

I nodded my head, then I order the pack to phase back and tend to Sam. I was sure I'd broken at least one of his ribs in the fight and the bite on his shoulder needed to be checked out.

I phased and followed the Elders back to the reservation for the purification and prayer ceremony. The ceremony was to be conducted in a sweat lodge which was built from willow saplings. The opening of the lodge was covered with a blanket. Next to the lodge there was a fire pit being used to heat up the rocks that would provide the steam.

After the Elders sang a few Quileute songs, Old Quil spoke up. "When you enter the lodge you must clear your mind of all thoughts. Only then will your spirit be able to leave your body so you can begin your vision quest."

"We invite you to speak your mind when you talk with the Great Wolf. You must also listen carefully to what he says because it will be of great use to you in times of confusion and fear," Sue added.

I was a little apprehensive. What do you say to your dead ancestor? My dad saw my expression and chuckled, "Don't worry, son. Just speak from your heart. The words will come."

Taking a deep breath, I entered the darkness of the lodge. I don't know how long I sat on the floor of the lodge trying to clear my mind. My eyes drifted closed and when I reopened them I wasn't sitting in the lodge anymore. I was somewhere in the forest surrounded by trees and mist.

_How the hell did I get here?_ I wondered. The atmosphere of the forest felt surreal then I realized this was it. I was having a vision, a real freaking vision.

As I continued to look, the mist swirl would around almost taking the place of a person for a second, only to dissolve again.

"Is anybody out there?" I called out. I received no answer.

I walked further into the woods only to stop as I heard the snap of a twig behind me. My heart pounded in my chest and I quickly turned around to see a large russet colored wolf looking back at me. He wasn't just large, he was huge. His thick fur had patches of black on his muzzle and paws. This was my ancestor, the Great Wolf. I stared at him in awe for a few moments until I remembered my manners. Then I abruptly bowed to him. I might have been Alpha but he was the ultimate Alpha.

It was almost as if my mind wasn't my own. Suddenly, I knew what I wanted to say to him. "Great Wolf spirit, I stand before you humbled by the task that lies before me. I desire strength, not to rule over my people, but to protect them from our greatest enemy. I seek a long life in service of my people. Be my guide as I search for wisdom and understanding. Give me the courage to do what I know is right. And above all else, please give me the fortitude to carry the weight that comes along with leadership." My words flowed to an end and I waited for his response.

I heard his voice in my mind as he spoke to me. _"Young Alpha, I do not envy you your task. Our enemies have grown in numbers over the years and have become more organized. They will not only seek to end your life and that of your people, they will try to take your world from you. As you are now, you cannot hope to defeat them. I will grant you the use my strength."_ He paused and felt a surge of power flow through my body.

"_The time will come when you must choose between what you want and what is right. The road you travel will be long and arduous. True happiness will not come easily to you. You will have to choose your own destiny."_

As I frowned trying to make sense of his words, the Great Wolf's body was rapidly dissolving into mist. The scene of the forest faded and I was left in darkness. Suddenly there was a pain in my body, so intense that I felt as if my bones were breaking. I felt hands shaking me and heard voices but I couldn't respond.

I don't know how long I lay in my agonized coma but after what seemed like forever, the pain subsided and I was finally able to open my eyes. I was on my bed and my dad sat in his wheelchair next to it. One glance at my window confirmed it was daytime.

My dad sighed with relief. "I was wondering when you would rejoin the living." He tried to joke but I could tell he was worried.

I swallowed dryly and croaked. "How long was I out for?"

He handed me a glass of water. "About two days. I take it your vision quest went well?" He gestured to my body with his hand.

I frowned, not understanding what he meant. He continued, "Take a look in the mirror, _Alpha_." He smirked.

Getting off the bed, I swayed slightly on my feet. I really need to eat something soon. I stood in front of my mirror and observed myself. I barely recognized the person in the mirror. My face looked older and my body was even bigger than it was before. I'd grown to accommodate the strength given to me by the Great Wolf. I didn't even look like seventeen anymore, not that I did in the first place. But now, no one would believe my age without ID. _I just had to be the biggest wolf, didn't I?_ I tried to wrap my mind around it all.

The hunger in my stomach was almost unbearable. I had to find something to eat. "How's Sam doing?" I asked my dad as I walked to the kitchen.

He wheeled himself out behind me. "He's fine. Even though you did a number on him, he healed nicely. I'm so glad you were able to stop yourself from killing him. I'm real proud of you, son." _I bet Sam and Emily were even happier. _I rummaged through the fridge looking for stuff to make sandwiches with.

"Thanks, Dad." I mumbled between large bites.

He grinned, "I bet you can't wait to go on your first run with the pack."

I smiled back. Running through the forest was one of the things I loved the most about being a wolf.

* * *

In the weeks after I'd become Alpha, the changes in the pack were noticeable. We were stronger, faster and extremely savage. I observed this the first time I lead the pack in a hunt for a vampire that crossed onto our land. I barely had to issue any orders. They moved like a school of fish swimming in a current. They moved without thought, responding quickly to the leech's change in direction and speed. With their wolf instincts sharper, they moved with a single purpose in mind. To tear the leech apart and burn his remains in a bonfire. We were more efficient and we got the job done in half the time.

Something was up with Leah though. She seemed different and not as vicious as she used to be. Every time anyone tried to tune into her thoughts she would replay her memories of her and Sam or think about…_shudder_…her period. Sam may have let that crap slide when he was Alpha because he felt bad about leaving her but I meant to put an end to it. Being in the pack meant that no one was allowed secrets. Secrets could be detrimental to the pack. I planned to go through her memories the next time she decided to gross everybody out. She wouldn't be allowed to hide anything from me. I just hoped she wasn't hiding anything to do with _feminine issues._

I went by Sam's place. He wanted to speak to me about something. Surprisingly, ever since the challenge things were cool between us. Sam didn't hold any grudges and was actually relieved not to be Alpha anymore. He was satisfied that as my Beta he still had the most power over the others in the pack.

Sam met me outside and we walked to the back of the house. We sat in the chairs then Sam turned to me, "Okay, so as Alpha there are some things you should know about wolf customs."

"Things? Like what?" I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. I thought the elders had already explained everything there was to know about werewolf custom. What the hell else could there be?

He seemed to be struggling to find the words. "It's about imprinting or rather the claiming part of it."

I frowned. Even though I'd accepted the Alpha position, I still didn't like the idea of imprinting. I resented my choice being taken away. "Claiming, that's what you do with your imprint, right?" I know you had to mark your imprint to solidify your bond.

"For the most part, yes. But what you don't know is that you can claim someone who isn't your imprint too."

"Wait, what? Why didn't you tell me this before?" I was getting angry and had to take a few deep breaths to calm myself. If I'd known about it before and had marked Bella, I knew she never would have left.

"Because the elders knew how you felt about Bella, Jake. I can't tell you how relieved they were that you didn't mark her when you two slept together. Jake, you have to understand. No one's ever marked a woman who wasn't their imprint before. The Elders don't know what would happen if a wolf marked someone then imprinted on another after." Sam tried to make me understand.

I grit my teeth in frustration. My own dad didn't tell me about it. There was a way to fight the imprint. Maybe even level the playing field. "Why didn't the Elders want me to mark Bella?"

He sighed wearily, "Because they didn't know where Bella's allegiance lied. She was way too close to the leeches. And honestly, Jake, they just didn't think Bella belonged here with us. Not to mention the fact that she's well…white."

_What the fuck does Bella being white have to do with anything?_ At my enraged expression Sam quickly added, "Don't get so upset with me. They didn't even tell me about claiming until after I'd imprinted on Emily." He ran his hand through his hair.

I had to ask the question that was burning a hole in my mind. "Do you think things would have been different if you'd marked Leah before you met Emily?"

Sam's dark eyes snapped to me. "I love Emily, Jake. But I think that if I'd marked Leah before I met her, I might have been able to resist the pull of the imprint. I might have had a choice. If you imprint before you mark someone you won't want to mark anyone but your imprint." He had every right to be angry. He felt like his choice had been taken away from him.

"Why do you think the Elders kept this to their selves all this time?" I knew what Sue's reasons were for wanting to keep this information from Leah. Everything Sam told me had the potential to reopen wounds that never really healed in the first place. But no one could have predicted that Sam would imprint on Leah's cousin. It was a messed up situation.

Sam's hands shook slightly. This was a hard topic for him to discuss. "Why the fuck do you think? They've always seen it as their job to make sure the next generation of wolves is secured. They were duty bound to keep it secret. Everything else comes after." He closed his eyes trying to center himself again. The tremors in his hands slowed to a stop.

I wondered how Kim, Emily and Rachel would feel to know that they only had the Elders' backing because they were wolf baby making machines. And that's not even including little Claire. None of us wolves wanted to end up like Quil. He'd been reduced to a glorified babysitter. Stuck in limbo waiting till Claire grows up, to see if his brotherly feelings for her would turn into something more. The Elders couldn't say for sure what would happen because there'd never been a case like Quil's before. Imprinting on a toddler. The ancestors really dropped the ball on that one.

"As Alpha, you have a right to know about this. That's the only reason they've allowed me to tell you. Now it's up to you to decide what you want to do with this information." He pressed his lips into a thin line.

There was nothing I could do. Bella was still gone and I couldn't go after her because I had a job to do. I would have to put my people before my own wants. Although, I still couldn't help but hope that one day it would all work out and Bella would come back. But I had to face the possibility that she might not. Whatever happened I wanted to have a say in who I wanted to be with.

Our ears perked up to the sound of an approaching car in the distance. I watched as Sam got to his feet.

"Are you expecting company, Sam?"

Sam grinned, "Yeah. A couple of old friends are dropping in. It's my friend and his sister. They moved away from the reservation with their mom when they were kids but they're moving back. Do you want to meet them?"

I didn't really care to. What I wanted was to go home and confront my dad with the secret he'd been keeping from me. But it wouldn't hurt to say hello to Sam's friends before I left.

"Sure." I stood to my feet and followed Sam to the driveway at the front of his house.

A red jeep pulled up and an obviously Native American guy got out. He was tall and thin with shoulder length hair. He and Sam shook hands. He stepped away to scrutinize Sam. "Damn, Sam. What the hell happened to the scrawny kid I left behind? You're huge but I bet I could still beat your ass."

Sam grinned. "You wish." He turned to me. "Hey, I'd like you to meet my friend, Jacob. Jacob this is my friend Logan."

"Nice to meet you." I quickly shook his hand. My mind was already working on an excuse to leave. I really wanted to get home so I could talk to my dad. I glanced toward the woods.

"And this not so little lady here is his sister, Carmen." Sam's voice drew my attention.

I heard a voice, "Nice to meet you." I turned back and shook her small hand. As I looked up at her face all thoughts of leaving to go argue with my dad left my mind. It would be a while before I would leave to go home.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, yes I know I'm totally evil and what not but I think this will be my last Jacob chapter until Bella returns home.**

**Coming up next Edward contacts Bella and embarrasses the hell out of her.**

**You know what to do if you want your chapter early . Review!**


	15. Helen of Troy

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you guys for all the alerts and thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 15

BPOV

Everything was back to normal. Well… almost everything. At first, I couldn't bring myself to go back into the basement where my car was still parked. Every time I tried to go near the basement my hands would shake and I felt like I was hyperventilating. I knew that James was in jail and I was being silly but I couldn't help myself. For two weeks, I bummed rides with Liz and Ryan to my classes. If they thought it was strange they didn't say anything to me. It didn't take long for Taylor to notice what I was doing.

We were alone in the apartment when Taylor asked me if I could drive him to the store.

I grimaced. Two weeks of avoiding the basement and my luck had finally run out.

I turned away from the TV to look at him. "What's wrong with your car?"

"I've been having engine trouble." _Since when?_ I never heard him mention any car trouble before.

I reached for my keys on the table next to the couch and handed it to him. "Here, you could borrow my car?"

Instead of taking the keys Taylor looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "Is there some reason why you don't want to go down to the basement?"

_Crap! _I was backed into a corner. I didn't want the gang to know I'd been having trouble and if I wanted to keep it that way I would have to go to the basement.

I tried to keep my face blank and my voice even, as I answered, "No. No reason."

I got up and we left the apartment. We took the elevator down to the basement. The whole ride down I was nervous and fidgety. As the doors to the elevator opened I could feel the tremors in my hands starting up again.

Taylor spared me a worried glance. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said, trying to will myself to get it together.

Taylor stepped out of the elevator and held out his hand when he noticed I wasn't following him. I took a deep breath and forced myself to take Taylor's hand allowing him to pull me into the basement with him. I looked around nervously as we walked to my car. The basement didn't look any different except for the fact that old light bulbs had been replaced so it was now well lit. I could see well enough to know that there was no shadowy figure waiting to ambush me.

When we got to my car Taylor squeezed my hand reassuringly and I blushed. I didn't realize I was still holding his hand all this time. I let go of his hand and we got into the car.

After a few minutes of driving in silence, I confronted him with my suspicions. "There isn't a problem with your car, is there?" I fake glared at him.

My answer was a small smile. I knew right then and there that was the most I would get out of him on the topic.

* * *

One night Leah called me cursing up a storm. I was surprised because it was the first time she'd ever called me. It was the first time in while that I'd found myself alone in the apartment. I wasn't sure where Liz and Ryan were, Zach was back at his dorm room and Taylor had once again pulled his usual disappearing act.

I was lying on my bed flipping through a magazine when the phone rang.

"Hello."

"Hello, Bella?" Leah's voice sounded more aggravated than usual.

"Leah? What's wrong?" For a second I wondered if she was calling to tell me something had happened to Jacob.

"Fucking Emily. That's what's wrong." What could Emily have done to piss Leah off even more than she already was?

"Ah crap. What the hell did she do?"

"She showed up at my house shouting shit about how she wants her sister back and she's not leaving until that happens." _What the hell?_ I knew Emily and Leah were close before Sam imprinted but she must have been off her rocker to come around Leah's house. Even though they were close in the past, I doubt that they could ever be that close again. Even though they didn't mean to, Sam and Emily hurt Leah in the worst possible way. There were just some wounds that would never really heal. If there was anyone who knew about unhealed wounds, it was me.

"Shit, Leah. What did you do to her?" Leah wasn't known for having the best temper.

"I didn't lay one finger on her. I did however tell her that if she didn't get the fuck out of my house I would rip off the other half of her face." Leah snarled and I shivered involuntarily. I could almost feel the rage in her voice and I hoped it would never be directed at me.

I rolled over on my back. "So what happened next?"

"She left in tears saying she'd be back. She's not going to give up. Why the hell can't she just leave me alone? She made her choice when she chose Sam over me." Her broken voice betrayed her sadness. It made my heart ache for her and I never hated imprinting more than I did at that moment. The shit ruined lives. Nothing about this was fair to either one of them.

"I don't know why she's trying to talk to you now but…" I took a deep breath then continued on as gently as I could "…maybe she misses you." I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for her to lash out at me.

I was surprised when she only grumbled, "Whatever." She was silent for a bit then I heard her say, "I really hate imprinting."

I sighed, "I do too, Leah." _God, how I hate imprinting_.

We talked for another hour, during which she opened up to me about how she still loved and despised both Sam and Emily. She also talked about how she felt like no one was on her side. I was glad that I could be there for Leah.

* * *

My twentieth birthday came and I didn't mention it to anyone. I never told anyone the date of my birthday and I was hoping no one would ask. However, all my hopes were dashed when one night a gift was delivered to the apartment.

We were all hanging at the apartment one night listening to Zach go on and on about his 'adorable' pet ball python he named Suzie Q. It was weird. He was going on as if the snake was his baby. Personally, I hoped never to see the damn thing. Snakes creeped me out big time.

The throbbing vein on Liz's forehead told me that she was about to reach her limit. At any moment I expected her to snap at Zach to shut up about his snake, but instead the doorbell rang.

Ryan got up to answer it. He opened the door and there was a delivery man standing there with a bouquet of roses. "Good night, folks. I have a delivery for Isabella Swan."

Thoroughly confused, I got up and went to sign for it. The delivery guy left and I walked back into the living room trying to figure out who would send me flowers. I plopped down on the couch looking for a card.

Liz's eyes lit up. "Who sent you the flowers? Was it Dillon again?" She was way too excited about this. She was desperate for me to date someone, _anyone._

I found the card and was about to read it when it was plucked from my fingers by Zach and read out loud.

_Hello love,_

_Even though we are no longer engaged, _

_I hope you know I'm still allowed to spoil you._

_Please accept this token of my undying love._

_I'm still hoping you'll change your mind and marry me._

_But I'll respect your decision._

_Just know I'll always be here waiting for you._

_I have all the time in the world._

_My heart is forever yours._

_Love Edward._

_Happy Birthday!_

_P.S. The family's gifts will arrive tomorrow._

Around the time Zach finished reading the note, I found Edward's gift hidden in the flowers. I opened the jewelry box to discover a pair of white gold, diamond and emerald earrings with a matching necklace. I was speechless.

Damn! The jig was up. In one fell swoop Edward had managed to spill the majority of my secrets. The silence in the room was deafening.

Liz appeared at my side with something akin to vampiric speed and took the jewelry box out of my hands. She eyed the jewelry with raised eyebrows and whistled. Meanwhile, I was still in shock trying to think of a way to spin this.

I took a chance to glance around the room to gage their expressions. Zach and Ryan had the biggest shit eating grin on their faces, Taylor's expression was unfathomable and Liz… well, her expression said she planned to milk me for every last drop of information I could give her. She was making me nervous. She hadn't brought up Edward since Angela's slip up on the beach. I wasn't going to get away this time.

"Okay. Where do I begin?" Liz folded an arm across her chest and tapped her chin with a finger.

Ryan beat her to the punch. "So you were engaged? When the hell was this?" Liz glared daggers at him.

I sighed. I was trapped. "Over a year ago, I was engaged to a boy named Edward Cullen." I placed the flowers on the table and leaned back on the couch.

I couldn't tell them everything but I would tell them what I could.

Zach was bursting with excitement. "Well, how did you two meet?"

I felt like a parent telling a bedtime story to my children. I had the attention of everyone in the room. "We met my junior year of high school after I moved to Forks and we started dating almost immediately. I was really close to his family. We were… inseparable." My mind trailed off. It seemed like that was a lifetime ago instead of just three years.

"Well, then was happened?" Liz prodded.

"We were together for a few months when he…" _abandoned me_ "…moved away with his family. I didn't handle it so well." I felt a slight twinge of pain. After all this time it still hurt to think about how Edward left and got his entire family to turn their backs on me.

Taylor frowned. "What do you mean when you say you didn't handle it well?"

I flinched. "Let's just say that I was…" _a zombie, insane, suicidal_ "…unwell." I was still so ashamed of the ridiculous way I'd reacted to losing Edward. The people I hurt. I still had trouble forgiving myself.

Liz looked tempted to ask something but then she gave me a sympathetic look and patted my arm instead. "So was this where Jacob Black entered the picture?"

Just at the mention of his name I felt a small smile on my lips. "It was during this time I started hanging out with Jacob and he…" _kept me sane_ "…took care of me. He became my best friend."

Ryan poked my foot. "Friend, huh?"

I rolled my eyes. "Jacob wanted to be more than friends but I was still in love with Edward. When I finally started to see him as more than a friend Edward came back." More like I had to go save his ass.

"So what did you do? Please do not tell me you took him back." Liz was pissed.

"Yes, I took him back and that's when things got complicated. You see, Jacob's and Edward's families were enemies."

Zach interest was piqued. "Enemies how?"

_The mortal kind_. "Their families had a feud that was generations old." It was the truth, well sort of. "It was difficult to keep them from…" _killing each other_ "…fighting."

"So you were the girl who started a war. That's so freaking cool." Ryan was impressed.

"No. They didn't fight over me. I never let things get that far." I shook my head.

"But the fact that they would've if you hadn't stopped them makes you a real life Helen of Troy. You're the woman men would go to war for." Taylor comment made me blush slightly.

"Edward knew how Jacob felt about me and Jacob didn't give up after I got back together with Edward. So Edward staked his claim by asking me to marry him. But I realized that I did have feelings for Jacob, so I called off the engagement."

"So you left Edward for Jacob?" Zack asked.

"No. Not really. After Edward came back, things were different between us and I never really took the time to deal with them. Edward went from being a little over protective to telling me who I could see and where I could go. Jacob worried about me but he still taught me how to cliff dive and how to ride a motorcycle. It was different with Jacob. Edward is extremely protective of me. If he ever found out about what almost most happened to me here he would show up here and try to make me leave with him. If I'd married Edward I would've had to give up a lot of things." I would have had to give up everything that made me well…me.

Liz frowned, "Why would you have to give up anything at all?" It was difficult for them to understand without knowing I was planning to become one of the undead.

I tried to explain myself better. "It's just what would've been expected of me if I married into his family. In the end it was just too hard to stay with him. It shouldn't have to be that hard." I ran my finger through my hair. I sat back waiting for the senses of loss and sadness to overwhelm me but was surprised when there was none. Of course I still missed and loved him but I could accept that we would never be together. Maybe I had already mourned the death of our relationship after he left me the first time. We were truly over.

Liz was amazed. "Wow. You really know how to hook a guy. From what we heard in his message he's still crazy about you." Liz was right. Edward's message was still a little worrying. I hoped his feelings for me weren't identical to the ones Victoria had for James. Crippling and obsessive. I prayed that Edward's love for me would be like a stepping stone he would use to find his true love.

"I know but in the mean time we're still friends. I think eventually he'll meet someone else." I knew that there was someone else out there for him. Edward and I weren't right for each other. I hoped he'd see that someday soon.

"How are you still friends with him?" Zach's expression was incredulous.

I looked at Zach and shrugged my shoulders. "I still care about him and we'd rather be friends than nothing at all. His sister and I are best friends and I'm still on good terms with his family. It's not that big of a deal." Even though I didn't tell them everything, it still felt good to share something from my past with them.

"Well, since we kind of missed your birthday you have to let us take you out." Liz had an evil calculating look in her eyes.

I held up my hands. "No, no. You don't have to do take me anywhere." I was worried. Liz was difficult to stop when she was determined to do something.

"Oh, but we do and I have the perfect place too. Dillon's fraternity, the Alpha Thetas are having a costume party tomorrow night. We're all going." _Crap!_

I scrambled for an excuse. "But I don't have a costume, Liz."

"Don't worry. I already have something for you to wear." Liz smiled smugly and flipped her hair. Realization dawned on me that I was set up. She was just waiting to spring this on me.

"How long have you known about this party?" I glared at her. When I looked around the room everyone was grinning. Every one of them had been in on this ambush. _Bastards!_

"Oh, relax. Not that long. Dillon told me about it and asked me to invite you. That guy really has a thing for you." Damn! So I had Dillon to blame for this. He was determined. I had to give him that.

I rolled my eyes and let out an annoyed sigh. "Do I get to see this costume at least?"

"You'll see it tomorrow night." The evil glint was back in her eyes and I knew it whatever my costume was, it wouldn't bode well for me. _Ah crap._

_

* * *

_**A/N:**Can you guys guess what Bella's costume will be?

Coming up next some sexy fun at the frat house.

I have decided to send a **sneak preview** of the next chapter to all those reviewing this chapter.

If you want your chapter early you know what to do. Review!


	16. The Right to Remain Silent

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you guys for all the alerts and thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 16

Saturday night came and I still hadn't seen my costume. The boys had already left to get ready at their place and Zach would meet us at the party. I was pacing a hole in the floor of my room trying to think up any excuse I could use to stay home. I was dressed in a robe and wearing blue three inch pumps. Liz was in her room getting ready and promised to bring my costume with her when she was done.

Just as I was about to make a break for it, Liz walked in. My jaw dropped in astonishment. Liz was wearing black, tight fitting vinyl pants with slashes across the thigh area. Her top was just a vinyl push-up bra with two criss-cross straps across her exposed stomach. On her head she wore a cat half-mask on her head and face. Voluminous waves of brown hair curled around her shoulders and down her back. The six inch heels made her legs look even longer. Realization dawned on me, Liz was dressed as Catwoman. She looked so beautiful that she could even give Rosalie a run for her money.

Her green eyes twinkled provocatively and she made a cat-like clawing motion with her hand while she purred seductively, "Meow."

"Wow Liz, you look amazing." I nervously eyed the black garment bag in her hand.

"Thanks. The guys should be here any minute now. Let's get you ready." She strolled toward the bed and unzipped the bag. "This is what you're wearing." She said, taking out the outfit and showed it to me.

I took one look at the costume in her hand and shouted, "Oh, hell no!" I made a run for the door. I didn't care that I was only clad in my underwear and robe. If I could only make it to my car, I planned to hide in it for the rest of the night.

Liz caught up with me before I reached the door and tackled me to the ground. "I knew you were going to do this. I don't care if I have to chase you around this apartment all night, you're going to wear this costume." Liz rolled me over and pinned my hands to my sides.

I tired to buck her off of me but it was to no avail. "Liz, get off."

We heard the front door open and close then Ryan appeared my doorway. I tilted my head and saw that Ryan was dressed as Rambo. His hair was messy with a red headband tied around his forehead. He was dressed in a green tank top and camouflage pants with black commando boots. His eyes bugged out and he mumbled something incoherently as he took in our compromising positions on the floor.

"Oh man. This is so hot. Please let me take a picture of this." He begged and I realized that the sash on my robe came loose in the struggle and my robe was wide open exposing my bra and panties. With Liz dressed as Catwoman, straddling and pinning me to the ground, we looked like we were in a porno.

Liz shot him a glare. "Beat it, Ryan."

"Ryan, you have to help me. Come get your crazy ass girlfriend off of me." I panted as I tried to buck her off me again.

Ryan raised his hands in surrender and backed away. "Sorry, Izzy, but you said it yourself. She's crazy and my self preservation instincts just kicked in. I'll wait for you girls in the living room with Taylor." But before he left there was a flash of light as he quickly snapped our picture. With that done he left me alone with my captor.

I snorted to myself. _Some Rambo he was._

Liz tightened her grip on my arms and turned her attention back to me. "Now are we going to do this the easy way or am I going to have to put the costume on you myself?" Her eyes hardened with determination and her red lips tightened into a thin line. There was no doubt in my mind that Liz would do it. She was like Alice and Leah rolled into one. _Lucky me._

"Fine," I sighed in defeat and stopped my struggling.

Smiling now, Liz hopped off me and walked to the door which she closed and locked. "Just incase you decide to freak out again. Now let's do your hair and makeup."

I sat in front of the mirror while Liz used a curling iron on my hair and when she was finished, my hair hung in bouncy curls around my head. A look I'd never been able to achieve on my own.

I grabbed her hand when she reached for her makeup kit. "Please keep the makeup light unless you plan on having me work a street corner later." I snapped.

Liz rolled her eyes. "Just shut up and let me work." I closed my eyes as she applied my make up and eye shadow. "Now take a look."

I opened my eyes to see her stepping away with a pleased expression on her face. I looked at the mirror and thought, _Wow_. Liz gave my eyes a smoky look and my lips were a glossy pink hue. I looked like me only beautiful. When Alice would go all 'Bella Barbie' on me I wouldn't look like myself at all and that bothered me. I loved the fact that I could still recognize myself under everything. I smiled.

Liz poked my shoulder. "See. I told you I know what I'm doing. Now let's get you into your costume."

I scrunched up my face and Liz's expression was back to a scolding one. "Don't even start with me. Do you want a repeat of earlier?"

I shook my head, "No."

"Then come on." She picked up my costume and held it out to me.

I put on my costume and Liz whistled. "You look stunning. Here have a look." Then she pushed me in the direction of my full length mirror.

I looked in the mirror and was shocked. I looked, _dare I say it_…sexy. I was wearing a dark blue strapless satin body suit, a collar and bow tie around my neck complete with satin cuffs, a fluffy bunny tail, a bunny ear headpiece and fishnet stockings. I was a freaking playboy bunny.

Since coming to Dartmouth, I went up one bra size and my hips got a little wider. The body suit accentuated my curves and cleavage. My pumps gave the illusion of longer, shapely legs. I looked like a vixen. This wasn't so bad. I couldn't hide my smile as I turned to Liz.

She hugged me. "Dillon is going to die when he see's you tonight, in addition to every man with a pulse. We're going to have so much fun tonight."

I squeezed her back. "Thanks, Liz."

She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the room's exit. "Come on, time to go meet the boys. I can't wait to see the expression on their faces."

I groaned. More attention and people staring at me. _Just perfect_.

We walked into the living room where Ryan and Taylor stood waiting.

Liz walked up to Ryan and his wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned down to whisper something that made Liz giggle. He turned to look at me and did a double take. He immediately went into what I called his 'protective big brother mode'. "Bloody hell. I'm really going to have my hands full tonight trying to keep an eye on you too. You look like a model right out of a magazine." Ryan and Liz turned away from me to talk to each other.

I felt a light blush creep up my cheeks. Thank god, my blushing had gotten better. Usually I would be a red tomato by now. I took a chance and threw a quick glance in Taylor's direction.

_Holy shit!_ If Taylor Reed was attractive before he was drop dead gorgeous in his dark blue policeman uniform. As he sauntered over in my direction I took in his costume. He was wearing a short sleeved shirt, trousers and hat complete with handcuffs and a baton hanging off his belt. He looked like he should be in a calendar and I wondered for a second if his pants were the kind that snapped right off when tugged on. I shook my head and quickly squashed those thoughts. He would have to beat the women off with his baton tonight.

He stopped in front of me and his green eyes darkened with, what I hoped was appreciation, only. "You look beautiful, Isabella."

"Thanks. You look um… nice too." I had to say it. "Looking at you, I feel like I should be trying to stick dollar bills in your pants." I joked.

He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Really? Tell me, where on your costume, should I stick my dollar bills?"

I had the right to remain silent and I did. Instead, I turned my gaze to something on the floor. I nearly grew wings and flew out the door, when Liz asked if I was ready to go. On our way out of the apartment, Liz and I walked in front and the whole time I could feel eyes boring into what I prayed was my back. We all piled into Ryan's car and drove to the Alpha Theta frat house where the party was being held.

We parked in a campus lot and walked the rest of the way to the party. There were a lot of cars and people out that night. The Alpha Theta's were famous for their parties. The frat house itself was a large, two story, white building. There were people hanging out on the lawn in front of the house.

When Ryan noticed some of them were already drunk or passed out he turned to Liz and me. "Don't accept any drinks from anyone except us, okay? Also, I want you girls to stay close to us."

Liz looked at me and rolled her eyes but I thought Ryan's worrying was sort of sweet. I'd always wanted a brother. Just to appease Ryan, we nodded anyway. We walked in through the front door and the place was packed. Liz and I drew some inappropriate looks and downright leers from some of the guys. But a quick look at the intimidating figures of Ryan and Taylor and the quickly found something else to stare at. At first I was worried about being so underdressed but I relaxed when I saw quite a few girls wearing a whole lot less than I was. There was even one girl wearing strategically placed leaves. I figured out she was dressed as Eve.

Ryan went and got us drinks. I brought my cup to my nose and sniffed it. Whatever it was, it smelled sort of fruity. I took a sip, it didn't taste bad. We were mingling with the crowd and I hung out with a few people I knew from my classes. We'd been at the party for almost two hours and we still hadn't seen Zach.

I was finishing my drink when a deep voice I recognized spoke from behind me, "Hi there, sexy. Do you wanna to dance?"

I almost choked on my drink. _Oh hell no!_

I spun around to look at the very shocked eyes of Zach. His mouth hung open as he eyed me from head to toe. "Izzy?! What the hell?" He was dressed as Dracula. His hair was slicked back and he was wearing the classic fake teeth with the cape and everything. I shook my head. It was always amusing to see people pretending to be the very creatures that tried to murder me so many times in the past.

Behind him Ryan, Liz and Taylor were laughing at us having witnessed his attempt to pick me up. I raised an eyebrow and smirked, "So that's your big pick up line?"

He grinned lecherously and I knew that Zach was back to his usual self. "Damn, you look good. Maybe I should try to pick you up."

I rolled my eyes in amusement. "Oh please, Zach. Just get the hell away from me."

"So back to my earlier question. Do you want to dance?" Before I could answer Zack another voice I recognized interrupted us.

"What a fine looking wench." I spun around only to look into the blue eyes of Dillon. He was dressed as a pirate. He managed to look handsome and menacing at the same time. By this time the others had drifted over to stand behind me.

I decided to try my hand at some lame ass flirting. "Wench? I'll have you know I'm a bunny. So you're a pirate?" I was giggling too much. I was much too nervous to eat anything but a light breakfast that morning, so I suppose my drinking went right to my head.

His eyes roamed my figure. "I can see that you're a bunny but I'm not just any pirate. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. The greatest pirate there ever was."

I heard Ryan snort softly behind me, "He's more like a butt pirate." Then he and the other guys snickered. Shortly after, I heard a muffled 'oomph' as he was elbowed in the stomach. _Thank you, Liz._

I returned my attention to Dillon to see if he had overheard Ryan's comment but he was still blissfully ignorant and lost in playboy bunny land.

He smiled and held out his hand. "Would you like to dance?"

But before I could answer him I was interrupted again. "Sorry, but Izzy already promised to dance with me." And with that Zach grabbed my hand and dragged me away to the dance floor. I looked over my shoulder at Dillon and mouthed a 'sorry'.

The song switched to 'The Way I Are'. _I love this song._ I closed my eyes and let the music thump through my body. I started swinging my hips to the music. Zach spun me around placing my back to his front while we danced. I think I was tipsy. I usually never danced for fear of embarrassment but this time I couldn't care less. For once I was having a good time. Angela was right, I could start over. Nobody had to know that I sometimes cried myself to sleep at night or that I used to be a vampire girl. I could be whoever I wanted to be.

When I looked around Liz and Ryan were wrapped around each other dancing next me and Taylor was dancing with a blonde girl dressed as a genie.

Zach was more of a 'you shake your ass while I try to grab it' kind of dancer. I learned that as I had to slap his hand away from my bunny tail many times. "Aw, come on, Izzy. You can't wear that tail and not expect me to try to touch it," Zach pouted.

I poked him in the chest. "You keep your hands off my ass, mister."

We danced for a bit longer then the song switched to 'Don't Stop the Music'. I saw Zach look over my shoulder, nod his head slightly then he was dancing with the blonde genie and I was dancing with Taylor. He seized my waist then turned me around where my back was to his chest. He began to move his hips in a circular motion and I followed suit. _Good God, this man can dance._ His hot breath tickled my neck and I shivered. I was grateful for the bunny tail separating our pelvises.

_Do you know what you started?_

_I just came here to party_

_And now we're rocking on the dance floor_

_Actin naughty_

I groaned silently. Truer words had never been sung. In my high state I could admit to myself that I was attracted to Taylor but I wasn't interested in dating anyone. Not while was still in mourning over the relationship with Jacob that never was. And even if I was ready to date again, I would never date Taylor. He was my roommate's brother and one of my closest friends. I was damaged goods and had way too many secrets that I could never tell. It would never work out between us and would destroy the relationship I had with everyone else when it ended. I wasn't sure about Zach but I knew if Liz and Ryan had to choose sides it would be Taylor's. So I would never go there.

_Baby are you ready cause it's getting close_

_Don't you feel the passion ready to explode?_

_What goes on between us no-one has to know_

_This is a private show_

Taylor's hands gripped my hips as he turned me around and pulled me to him. I allowed my hands to trail up his strong arms and I sighed inwardly. Even though I couldn't date him, he was still really nice to look at with that thick black hair, beautiful green eyes framed by ridiculously long eyelashes, a strong masculine jaw and a mouth that you just want to… okay never mind. I was aware that my cheeks were stained with a slight blush as Taylor raised one amused eyebrow at me and asked, "Are you drunk?"

I grinned, "No. Why? Do I look drunk?" The song ended and switched to 'Viva La Vida.'

Taylor's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized me but he was interrupted before he could answer.

"Mind if I cut in?" And Dillon magically appeared next to us. I smiled at him and Taylor reluctantly released his hold on my hips and stepped way looking annoyed.

Dillon took his place and we started dancing. "I'm really glad you came tonight." His blue eyes twinkle as I stared at his face. He really was handsome.

"I am too." And I really was. This was the most fun I'd had in a long time. I don't know why I was too self conscious to try it before but I loved dancing. It would be my new favorite thing to do.

"So can I ask you something?" Jeez, I hoped he wasn't planning to ask me out again.

"Okay, go ahead." I was starting to get a little light headed.

"Are you and that guy you were just dancing with together?" He smirked.

"Who Taylor? No we're not together. I already told you, I don't date." I was puzzled. Why would he think that?

"I just asked because of the way he looks at you. He hardly ever takes his eyes off of you, especially now that you're dancing with me." I looked around the room for Taylor and sure enough he was looking at us.

I decided to brush it off. "No. It's nothing like that. He's just a little over-protective in a brotherly way. That's all." I smiled up at him.

He turned on the charm and lightly brushed his fingers down my arms. "Brotherly way, huh? So if you _were_ going date someone, would you date me?" _Oh yeah_. He was flirting.

I pressed my hands to his chest, peered up at him through my eyelashes and flirted right back. "Maybe I would." It was the most he would get out of me.

His eyes widened in surprise at my boldness but he quickly recovered. "So it's a date then? Whenever you're ready to date, that is." It wasn't a date but it was a date for a future date. I wasn't making any sense. I wondered just how many drinks did I have? Three or five?

I pushed those thoughts away as I smiled up at him. "Okay then." I slurred slightly.

We were interrupted when the gang appeared next to us. "Hey, you ready to go, Izzy?" A tipsy Liz slurred badly. She was drunk off her ass.

I wasn't ready to leave yet but my dizzy brain disagreed with me. "Sure, I'm ready. Bye, Dillon."

He smiled, "Goodnight, Izzy." Then he turned toward Ryan and his eyes hardened. "See you next week, pledge." Dillon said with a slight edge to his voice.

Ryan grinned and nodded.

Pledge? When the hell did that happen?

We waved to Zach on our way out. He was busy nibbling the blonde genie's neck and threw us a half hearted wave.

Halfway on our walk to the car Liz stumbled into me and we both fell on the grass. We both rolled around giggling like maniacs. Liz ended up on top of me when she slurred, "You're hot, Izzy. If I was gay I would totally do you." She would what now? I giggled. Man, Liz was completely gone.

Ryan stared at us with his mouth agape. "Izzy's drunk too. When the hell did that happen?" He picked Liz up bridal style. "Come on, boozy."

Taylor stood me on my feet and wrapped his arm around my waist while we walked the rest of the way to the car. I crawled into the backseat and stretched out. I was sleepy. Taylor had to sit with my feet in his lap. At some point in the ride home I drifted of to sleep. I vaguely remembered being moved and then I was on my bed. Not bothering to open my eyes, I grabbed my pillow and went back to sleep.

* * *

**A/N:**Hope you liked Bella's costume. Liz is so crazy.I love her personality.

I wanted Bella to cut loose. The girl really needed to have some fun.

Coming up next, Bella has yet another embarrassing experience and the pledge craziness will begin.

If you want your chapter early you know what to do. Review!


	17. The Life of a Spider

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you guys for all the alerts and thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 17

I woke up to the sun shining brightly on my face. I groaned softly. My bladder felt like it was about to burst. Even though the need to use the bathroom was great, I didn't want to wake up completely. So I opened one eye slightly while I rolled off the bed. Taking one step, I promptly tripped over a lump on my floor. I landed on said lump and heard it grunt beneath me. I opened both eyes completely to see a groggy and confused Taylor lying beneath me. _What the hell?_

Taylor's expression changed from confused to amusement and my mind began to register where I'd landed. I was straddling a shirtless Taylor. He smirked, "I decide to sleep in here to make sure you don't drown in your own vomit and I wake up to you trying to take advantage of me."

My body was frozen and my mouth was agape with shock. Just when I thought things couldn't possibly get any worse I heard Ryan's voice in the hallway. "I'll check but I don't think they're up yet. If they…" the door opened and his voice trailed off as his eyes landed on us.

Ryan's expression was one of shock then it morphed into this ridiculous smile that split his face in two. "I'm sorry to interrupt." Then he hurriedly closed the door leaving me sputtering.

"No…It's not…" I couldn't find the words. My mind wasn't functioning.

I turned my attention back to Taylor to see him chuckling. I was suddenly freed from my stupor as I scrambled into the bathroom and slammed the door shut effectively cutting off the roaring laughter coming from the other room. I slid down the door and sat on the floor covering my burning face with my hands. Feeling embarrassed, I groaned. _Why me._

I looked down at myself and realized I was still wearing my bodysuit and stockings from my costume. I locked the door and peeled off my clothes. I put on my robe and returned to my pathetic state on the floor. It wasn't long before Taylor came knocking on the door. The big jerk was still laughing.

"Izzy? Isabella, come on, don't be like that. Open the door."

I refused to answer him. I knew that I was being childish but I couldn't care less. What just happened to me was beyond mortifying. God alone knows what Ryan may have told Liz. Now Liz probably thought I tried to seduce her brother. I would never be able to show my face again. I planned to just live out the rest of my days locked in my bathroom. Maybe after enough time had passed I would morph into a spider, build myself a web behind the toilet where I could wait for flies. I shook my head to clear those crazy thoughts. I was beginning to sound insane. How I went from the confident, sexy woman of last night to the crazy lady contemplating the life of a spider this morning was beyond me.

I suppose my continued silence was beginning to worry Taylor because his knocking became more pronounced and his laughing stopped. "Isabella, come on. Open the door."

His knocking stopped and I heard mumbling as he spoke to someone. Then it was Ryan pounding on my door. "Come on, Izzy. We were just kidding around. Open up."

I still didn't feel like answering, so I said nothing. Ryan decided to up the stakes. "Izzy, if you don't open this door right now we'll break it down."

_Oh, hell no!_ If they wanted to piss me off on top of everything else that was the way to do it. Before I could use a few choice words to get them to leave me the hell alone I heard Liz's irritated voice. "Hey, you two get the hell out. Now."

I heard fading footsteps and then Liz was at my door. "Izzy, it's just me. Open up the door. It's way too early for this shit."

I rolled to my knees and reached to unlock the door. Liz slipped inside and closed the door behind her. I sat with my back leaning on the tub while Liz sat across from me and stretched out her legs. Her hair was pulled back in a sloppy ponytail and she was still wearing her pajamas. Even though Liz still looked a little bleary eyed she wasn't lacking cohesion as she scrutinized me intently. She must have already had her morning coffee because she was absolutely useless without it.

Liz playfully nudged my foot with her toe. "So I heard you and my brother got caught _assuming the position_."

I buried my face in my hands and moaned dejectedly, "Oh God."

"That's what she said." Liz sniggered.

I raised my head to look at her. "Seriously, Liz? You really want to make 'that's what she said' jokes right now?"

But Liz wasn't done with me just yet. "Oh, come on dish. Did he take you _downtown_?"

"Dear God. Please kill me now." My face burned with embarrassment.

"Did you find his _concealed weapon_?" She cackled.

"You know what, Liz? You suck." I folded my arms across my chest and pushed my bottom lip out in a defiant pout.

"Izzy, I was just kidding. You really need to toughen up. Have you met Zach and my boyfriend? Those guys will eat you alive if you keep letting them get to you like this." I knew Liz was right. I couldn't afford to be frail, fragile Bella here. She wasn't who I wanted to be anymore.

I sighed and looked Liz right in the eyes. She had to know that nothing went down between Taylor and me. "Liz, nothing happened with Taylor. I would never ..."

She rolled her eyes and waved me off. "You think I don't already know that?"

I gaped at her. "Then why did you torture me?" I whined.

"Because I can." She shrugged her shoulders. "I knew nothing happened because for more than a year I've watched you pine over your ex boyfriend. I don't think you'd suddenly change and start tossing it to my brother overnight." She flippantly explained.

I grimaced. _Tossing it?_ Liz was just as vulgar as Ryan, maybe even more so. Those two belonged together.

"Speaking of hooking up." Liz stretched out on the floor. "I saw you flirting with Dillon last night. I know you're attracted to him." A grin crossed her face.

"Yeah, but don't make too much out of it. I was tipsy." Now I was the one waving her off.

"Izzy, a really cute guy is hot for you. If you want to do him then do him." I blushed. I really had no experience in hooking up and I didn't know if I wanted to be that kind of girl.

"Liz! _Do him?_ I don't think I could be like that." I gnawed my lip nervously.

"Then date him. Nobody says you have to fall in love with him. Just try to have a little fun. I wanted to say this to you sooner, Izzy, but you really should try you move on." Liz finished as gently as she could.

Liz didn't tell me anything I haven't already told myself many times. It was easier said than done. I had no idea what I was waiting on. I knew Jacob and I would never be together but I still had trouble letting him go. I just wasn't ready to let him go and until I was able to I couldn't date anyone else. Not yet.

I fiddled with the sash on my robe. "I know but I'm just not ready yet." When she narrowed her eyes at me I hurriedly added on. "But I will soon. I promise."

Her expression softened and she pushed herself up off the floor. "Okay then. Let's go get some breakfast."

I was hungry but I wanted to take a bath and there was still the matter of my bursting bladder. "I want to take a shower first. I'll be out in a second."

"All right then and don't worry. I'll keep Ryan in line." She shook her fist as she strode out the bathroom door and closed it behind her.

I picked my bunny costume off the floor and threw it in the hamper. I removed my robe and hopped into the shower. I stepped under the spray of the shower and washed my hair with my strawberry shampoo then finished off with some conditioner. I finished my shower and stepped out of the tub. I brushed my teeth and stared at my reflection in the mirror when I was done. My skin looked rosy, almost glowing and I realized I was happy. Despite my earlier embarrassment, I was feeling good about my life and it showed.

I cautiously opened my bathroom door and peeked out to see if Taylor was still there. When I saw that he wasn't, I sighed with relief. I dug around in my closet and dragged on some jeans and a t-shirt. I towel dried my hair until it hung in moist waves around my head and decided to let the rest air dry.

I walked down the hall and bumped into Taylor coming out of Liz's room. His hair was still moist from the shower and he was shrugging on his shirt. The man should be in a magazine. My eyes were glued to his exposed chest and I looked up at his face to see him smirk at my ogling. "See anything you like?"

I blushed lightly and I heard Liz's words from earlier '_you really need to toughen up.'_

Taylor liked to push but this time I would push right back. I looked him straight in the eyes and remarked, "As a matter of fact, I do." His expression changed from smug to surprised. I pressed my hand to his chest and pushed him out of the way as I continued on my way to the kitchen. On the outside I was calm but on the inside I was doing my chicken victory dance.

As I entered the kitchen I saw a contrite Ryan and smug Liz sitting at the table eating their breakfast. Ryan turned to me, "Sorry, Izzy. We were just kidding around."

I slid a glance at Liz and saw her stealthily shake her fist and I stifled a giggle. "Forget about it." I shook my head. Poor Ryan. I hoped Liz didn't rough him up.

I made my way to the counter, fixed my breakfast then sat at the table with them. Taylor sauntered in moments later and grabbed some toast and coffee. As he sat at the table I kept my eyes on my breakfast. I was fresh out of bravery.

"I can't wait to start rushing tomorrow." Ryan said excitedly.

"I didn't know you were pledging the Alpha Thetas." I nibbled on a piece of toast.

"Yeah. It's my dad's old fraternity. I decided to give it a try. It should be lots of fun." I peeked at Liz. She didn't look the least bit excited at the news.

"Are you pledging too, Taylor?"

Taylor rolled his eyes and snorted, "As if I would willingly join any organization that would make Dillon Buchanon my brother."

I frowned at him. I really didn't understand why Taylor and the other boys didn't like Dillon. I thought he was a nice guy. Attractive too. So what if he seemed a little cocky? If I was a young, hot, rich guy I would probably be cocky too. Liz and I shared an annoyed glance.

We finished eating and the guys were watching TV in the living room I turned to Liz as we were doing the dishes. "Why did you have that look on your face when Ryan was talking about the fraternity earlier?"

She sighed, "You have to understand, Izzy. Growing up in our neighborhood was tough. The only people that looked like Taylor and me were the help. So we had a hard time fitting in and when Ryan started hanging out with us, it was great because he didn't care about fitting in. He didn't care about what people thought of him." Liz's eyes welled up with tears.

I was stunned. I'd never seen Liz cry, ever. I rubbed her back trying to offer my support.

She wiped her eyes and continued, "I'm just worried about him joining this fraternity and him wanting to fit in so much that he'll change. You know what those guys are like." I nodded. Fraternity guys were notorious for being drunken morons.

I hugged her. "I don't think you have anything to worry about, Liz. Can you honestly see Ryan becoming an uptight snob?" I pulled away and I raised an eyebrow.

She shook her head and sniffled, "No, I guess not. But I still worry, you know?" She didn't want to lose him.

"Yeah. But you'll see. You have nothing to worry about." I turned to look at a guffawing Ryan punching Taylor in the shoulder and silently prayed he wouldn't make a liar out of me.

* * *

The following day I called Leah. "Hey, Leah. How's it going?"

"Crappy as usual. But what else is new, right?" She sounded tired.

I stretched out on my bed. "What's the matter, Leah? Not getting enough sleep?"

"Between classes and patrol, I'm burning the candle at both ends. By the way I've got some news." By the tone of Leah's voice I could tell this was gossip.

My curiosity was piqued. "What is it?"

"Well, Jacob's sister Rachel is back and Paul imprinted on her."

"Oh my God. Seriously?" I sat up. Jacob must have been going crazy. He hated Paul. I didn't think Paul liked him either.

"Yeah and Jacob completely lost it, phased and ripped out a piece of Paul's fur. It was so funny." Leah obviously still thought it was. She was really laughing it up. It was nice to hear her laugh. It sounded better, more natural and not quite as bitter as before.

"So Rachel's back, huh? Guess you have her to talk to now." I felt a slight twinge of jealousy. I knew Rachel and Leah used to be great friends before she went away to college. Now that she was back, I was kind of worried that Leah and I wouldn't be as close as we were before. I mean, why would she call me when she had Rachel close by?

Leah sighed, "Things aren't the same between us anymore, Bella. Rachel's an imprint now. She's in on the whole stupid wolf soul mate crap now and I'm not the same person I was before she left."

"So how's Jacob doing?" I decided to change the subject.

"He's doing just fine." She hesitated to answer for just a second but I heard it anyway.

"What do you mean? He's okay, right?" I could barely finish the question.

"Don't you worry your heart out about Jacob. He's doing just fine." The sarcasm was back and I didn't know what to make of it. She said he was doing okay so that was something.

"Hey, how's it going with Emily?"

"About four times a week she shows up at my door and I slam it in her damn face. That's how it's going." She snarled. Jeez, I was a little sorry I asked.

Okay. I was going to ask something and hope she wouldn't tear my head off. "Leah? Do you think you could ever forgive them?" I held my breath and waited for the fire and brimstone to rain down on me.

She sighed wearily, "I don't know, Bella. I don't want to be like this, you know. Always angry all the time. I wish I could forgive them, so I could move on with my life but I can't. Not yet. You understand what I mean?"

Oh, I understood all right. I understood about wanting to move on but feeling like you were stuck in place. "I know exactly what you mean, Leah." I wish I didn't, but I understood.

* * *

Liz was really starting to freak out about Ryan and the fraternity. Every day he disappeared for hours then he would come home exhausted or drunk. Then there was the no bathing thing. I mean…Eww! They fought so much and at the end she would throw him out of the apartment. Then she would spend the night crying in my room.

Ryan was falling asleep at his classes because they put him on a sleep ban and once I saw him puking in the parking lot. I really didn't understand why every year intelligent people lined up to receive such harsh treatment just so they could belong to a club.

I was beginning to worry because Liz and Ryan were arguing a lot more than usual. In the past, Liz would be the one arguing about something Ryan did and he would concede in silence but now he was always tired and irritated. So when Liz snapped at him, he would snap right back then they would scream at each other and slam doors. They were driving me crazy.

The constant tension in the apartment bothered me. Gone was the peaceful, playful environment and in its place a strained and tense atmosphere. Zach and Taylor usually cleared out when the arguing started. Leaving me alone to deal the aftermath. Because Liz wasn't having sex, she had a lot of excess energy to burn off. So our usual morning one mile run was now turned into three miles. The situation with Liz and Ryan was killing me. _Literally._

One night when I was watching TV with Zach and Taylor I decided to ask what they thought about Ryan and Liz's situation.

Zach grumbled, "I don't get why he's even putting himself through this crap." I sensed he was mad because his hang out time with Ryan had been drastically cut.

Taylor shrugged. "It means a lot to him because of his dad. I think this might be about trying to impress him and getting his approval. Ryan's majoring in economics because his dad wants him to someday take over his company but what Ryan really wants to be is a football coach. It's all about his dad."

That surprised me. Ryan was always so protective of Liz. If his parents hated her why would he want to please them? "Why does he even care what his dad thinks? I thought his dad doesn't like Liz."

"His dad is not the one that hates Liz. His mom is." Taylor frowned and his hand tightened on the remote.

If he could just survive the hazing then things would get back to normal. There was nothing I could do to make Ryan stand up to his dad but if there was anything I could do to help him get through hazing faster, then I would try. I made up my mind to go see Dillon.

My plans to drop by the frat house to see Dillon were changed when I ran into him in the Dining Hall. I was having a latte and trying to do some last minute reading before my next class when he came over and sat in the chair next to me. "Hi there, beautiful."

I looked up from my book and smiled. "Just the guy I wanted to see."

Dillon leaned forward and raised his eyebrows. "Oh really? Could it be that you've finally agreed to go out on a date with me?"

I sighed mentally. _Not this again_. "No, this is about my friend, Ryan Sinclair. I have a favor to ask."

He eyed me curiously. "What is it?"

I took a deep breath and continued. "I want to know if there's anyway you guys could go a little easy on him with this whole hazing thing. It's really hard on him and it's driving his girlfriend crazy and me by extension."

Dillon leaned away with a small smile on his face. "Well, I don't know if I can do that, Izzy. It would be unfair to the other pledges and besides I don't really have that kind of power. I'm just a lowly junior." _Oh please._ I saw Dillon hanging around all the time with senior guys in the frat. I didn't know much about frat life but I knew that the seniors had the most pull.

I rolled my eyes and folded my arms across my chest. "Don't give me that crap, Dillon. I know you could get them to lighten up if you wanted to."

He raised his hands in surrender. "All right, all right. I'll talk to them but only as a favor to you. But I'd like something in return." He was smiling again.

I gnawed my lip nervously. _Crap!_ I should have seen that coming. "Okay. What do you want?" I hoped it was nothing that would result in me slapping him.

He grinned in triumph. "Since I know you don't date, I'd like you to have lunch with me tomorrow, as a friend."

Well, it wasn't a date and if he could get the guys to lay off Ryan, I thought it would be okay. I agreed, "I guess lunch as _friends_ would be okay." I made sure to stress the friends to let him know it would only be just that.

He smiled and I couldn't help but smile back. "I'll call you later with the details." He really was charming.

"Okay, that's fine." I glanced at my watch. "Oh, crap. I gotta go or else I'm going to be late for class." I packed up my books and got up in a hurry.

"Okay then. I'll see you later." He got up and went to sit with his friends a few tables away.

As I sprinted to class I began to worry about what I'd just agreed to. I tried to convince myself not to feel guilty for agreeing to have lunch with a guy friend. It was just lunch and Jake would want me to eat.

* * *

**A/N: **Poor Bella being teased relentlessly by Liz and now she's being blackmailed into lunch by Dillon.

Coming up next the gang goes on a crazy pledge mission with a guest appearance from a character out of one of Stephen King's books.

I have decided to send a **sneak preview** of the next chapter to all those reviewing this chapter.

If you want your chapter early you know what to do. Review!


	18. Holy Shit! It's Cujo!

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you guys for all the alerts and thank you to my reviewers.**

**Also I've included Ryan's POV in this chapter as well. Enjoy!  
**

* * *

Chapter 18

BPOV

By the end of my classes, my stomach was in knots. I couldn't get the upcoming lunch with Dillon out of my mind. _How did I get myself into this mess? _When I got home I went looking for Liz. She was in her room sulking on her bed.

I crawled onto the bed next to her and stretched out. "Liz, I did something today and now I'm not sure it's such a good idea."

I had her undivided attention. "What did you do?"

"I'll tell you but first you have to promise not to tell anyone." Until I figured out a way to cancel the lunch, the guys didn't need to know. I think they would be less than thrilled if they knew.

Noticing my flustered appearance she grew excited. "Wow. You must have done something bad. Fine, whatever. I promise."

"I talked to Dillon today and asked him to get the other guys take it easy on Ryan. He agreed to do it but only if I have lunch with him tomorrow." Saying it out loud made me even more nervous.

"Izzy, you don't have to do that for Ryan. I say let his ass suffer. No one's forcing him to make a fool out of himself." She huffed.

"It's too late. I already said yes and now I'm freaking out. What am I going to do?" I groaned.

"Well, it's nice that you tried to help Ryan but this just might be a blessing in disguise." Liz snapped her fingers with an excited light in her eyes. I groaned again. _Why me?_

"Blessing? What do you mean?" I gaped at her then frowned in confusion.

She rolled her eyes. "I mean this is the perfect opportunity to see if you might want to date Dillon. Every time Dillon tries to talk to you the guys always get in the way. But this way you can really get to know him without the guys around to cockblock him." She got off the bed and started digging through her closet.

I was surprised at her reasoning. "The guys don't _cockblock_ Dillon." Just saying the word made me blush.

Liz turned away from her closet with an incredulous expression on her face. "Please tell me you've seen the way the guys are around him. It's so stupid. Just because-" She suddenly clamped her mouth shut the turned back to the closet.

Why did she stop talking? "Because what, Liz?"

She waved me off. "It's nothing." She changed the subject. "I'm looking for something for you to wear tomorrow. You say it's just lunch, right?"

"Yeah. Just lunch as friends." I sat up. I really hoped he didn't think of it as a real date seeing as he practically blackmailed me into going out with him.

"Well, I'm thinking that you should definitely dress casual. Hmm… maybe something purple or blue." Then she resumed her digging.

I groaned in frustration. _This is a frigging nightmare_. Liz was supposed to help me find a way out of my predicament but instead she was all for it. I felt like screaming.

"Do you think I'm being unreasonable about the whole frat thing?" Liz tired to maintain a casual tone but by the stiffness in her shoulders I could tell that she was waiting for my answer.

Not wanting to choose a side, I'd tried to stay out of Liz and Ryan's arguments. I paused, trying to pick my words carefully. "I'm not on anyone's side here. I get why seeing Ryan torture himself to get into a stupid club would make you upset. But I can also see that this is important to him. So even though we don't agree with what he's doing…" I paused again and continued gently, "…we should try to support him anyway."

Liz expression turned thoughtful as she paused in her digging and she turned to me. "Do you know if Dillon would be able to get the others to lay off Ryan?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know but he said he would try, so there's hope."

We heard the front door open and close.

"Hey. Are you girls home?" Zach shouted.

I walked out of the bedroom with Liz and into the living room where the guys were waiting for us.

Liz asked, "Hey, what's up?"

"You would never guess what happened to me today?" Whatever it was it must have been good because I hadn't seen Ryan so excited in a while.

"What?"

"The senior brothers approached me with a special mission today." Ryan grinned.

I smiled. Dillon came through for me. Liz slipped me a discrete glance and asked, "Really? What is it?"

"Well, every year the house pulls a prank. I'm not really supposed to tell you but I have to break into the Dean Cooper's house and steal his monogrammed robe so they could put it on the school statue. If I do this, I'm in for sure." The big doofus was actually excited about taking on this asinine task.

Liz and I were flabbergasted. Liz managed to shake herself out of her stupor. "Are you out of your freaking mind? You could get expelled if Dean Cooper caught you."

Zach cut in throwing his hands up in frustration. "Thank you! I'm glad someone agrees with me."

Taylor asked him, "When are you going?" I guess he was determined to be supportive no matter what.

"I'm heading over there tonight." Obviously Liz's reaction didn't change his mind one bit. Ryan could be so stubborn sometimes.

Liz had a calculating look in her eyes. "No. You mean _we're_ heading over there tonight." All heads swiveled in Liz's direction. "That's right. We're _all_ going with you to make sure you don't mess this up." She stared everybody down as if daring us to say no. When no one did, she turned to Ryan and continued, "People are really putting themselves out for you, so you can't screw this up." And I knew she was talking about my lunch with Dillon.

Ryan was surprised by Liz's words. "Wow, I didn't think you would support me on this but thanks, babe." He hugged her. We would be in for a crazy night. But crazy or not we would stick together.

* * *

A few hours later we were all in the woods behind Dean Cooper's two-story, Colonial styled house. The lights were off in the house, so we assumed we got lucky and no one was home. Everyone was dressed in dark clothing so, we would blend in better with the trees but I think it made us all look like a bunch of thieves.

We crossed the distance to his house and hid in the bushes under a window.

"This is so stupid. We're gonna get caught and expelled from school." Zach grumbled and I couldn't help but agree with him. This was so reckless and ridiculous. I didn't even want to think about what Charlie's reaction would be if he knew his daughter was planning to break into a house to steal a robe. He would definitely have a heart attack.

"Relax. We won't get caught. No one's even home." Liz waved him off.

"Okay, so what's the plan?" Ryan turned to us.

"Well, we have to find a way to get into the house but that shouldn't be a problem. Before we came out here, I googled the crime rates in this area and it's one of the lowest in the country. So you know what that means, right?" Liz whispered from her crouched position in the bushes.

No one knew what the hell Liz was talking about. Taylor asked her, "No we don't know. Care to enlighten us?"

Even in the darkness, I could tell that Liz was rolling her eyes. "It means that people feel safe here and when people feel safe they don't lock their windows all the time. _Duh_." I shook my head at Liz's genius. She would make a great criminal.

"Okay, let's check this window." Ryan stood up and reached for the double hung window. After two tugs, he was able to slide the window open. "Good that was easy."

"Yeah… Almost too easy." Taylor mumbled. His comment unnerved me.

"Okay, guys. Give me a boost. When I'm inside I'll open the door for you guys." Zach braced himself against the side of the house then Ryan used him to climb through the window.

Zach continued to grumble. "They're going to put my ass in jail. I can't go to jail. I'm too good looking." Liz let out an unladylike snort. Zach was so full of himself. I couldn't wait for the day when a woman would come along and take him down a notch.

Taylor couldn't resist teasing him, "Let me know what to get you and Bubba for your wedding present." And I couldn't help but giggle.

When Ryan landed with a loud thud, Liz shushed him. "Not so loud, Ryan."

Something didn't feel right. Just then Ryan poked his head out the window and whispered, "Okay, I'll get the back door." Then he was gone.

As we all stood up, the shit hit the fan.

We were suddenly blinded as the back yard was bathed in a bright light. We then heard the cocking of a shotgun and a man's voice. "I suggest you kids get off my property before I call the police." We were all frozen in place like deer caught in the headlights.

As I squinted, I was able to make out Dean Cooper holding a shotgun but it was the strangest thing. It seemed like he was wearing a skirt.

I guess he was irritated by our inactivity because he pointed the gun into the air and fired. That was enough to free us from our trance and we took off running for the woods. When Dean Cooper fired another shot Zach shouted, "Holy shit! He's shooting at us! He's really shooting at us!" I think Zach had pretty much summarized all of our thoughts.

In my haste to make my escape, I almost forgot a vital piece of information. "What about Ryan?"

"Leave him. He can find his own way out." Liz panted. I couldn't help but think that was kind of cold but Liz was right. It was every man for himself at that point.

We stopped when we crossed the tree line but I guess Dean Cooper thought we were still too close to his house. "Get 'em, boy!" The sound of loud growls filled the night air as he sicced his huge Saint Bernard on us.

Zach was screaming in earnest now. "Shit! It's fucking Cujo! Run!"

Then we were running through the trees. In true Bella fashion, I stumbled and cursed when I almost fell. Taylor paused long enough to throw me over his shoulder in one swift movement. He then continued his sprint through the forest with only the light of the moon to guide us. I could hear Cujo's growls as he chased us through the bushes.

Liz panted, "Let's split up. We'll meet you guys at the car." Zach grabbed Liz's hand and they veered off in another direction trying to shake Cujo.

I don't know how long we ran for or, more accurately, how long Taylor ran with me thrown over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. It was safe to assume we lost the dog as we didn't hear him for a while back. Feeling nauseous from all the bouncing up and down not to mention Taylor's shoulder digging into my stomach, I begged him to put me down.

"Taylor, you can put me down now. I think we lost him." I wriggled on his shoulder.

He slowed to a stop behind a large tree. "I think you're right." He panted.

Placing one hand firmly on my leg and the other on my hip, he began to gently guide me down the length of his body. I positioned my hands on his shoulders to steady myself as his hands slid up my back. As my feet touched the ground, we heard a twig snap behind Taylor. We both froze as we heard growling. I swear my heart stopped. Cujo had found us.

Taylor whispered, "Izzy, I'm going to need you to climb the tree behind you as fast as you can okay?"

"But I can't climb a tree." My tone turned petulant. I'd never climbed one in my entire life.

Taylor was not in the mood to coddle me as he bluntly said, "If you don't climb the tree you'll end up as dog chow."

Those words were plenty motivation and I quickly got moving. Taylor placed his hands on my hips and boosted me up the tree as Cujo's growls got louder. He was coming for us. I grabbed onto a branch and pulled myself out of the way to make room for Taylor. Taylor then climbed on the branch and sat next to me just as a snarling, snapping Cujo appeared at the bottom of the tree. My heart raced in my chest.

Taylor gasped for breath and let out a stream of Spanish curses. I had to stifle a giggle. That was one of sexiest things I'd ever heard. Taylor's accent tended to get heavier whenever he got angry and he would usually curse in Spanish. I'd never pegged myself as an accent girl but I secretly liked Taylor's.

Suddenly the ridiculousness of our situation struck me. I'd never done anything so reckless and stupid before. Straight-laced, good girl, boring Bella was breaking into houses, getting shot at and being chased by dogs. I couldn't hold in my laughter anymore. Taylor stared at me then he joined me. "I bet when you woke up this morning, you didn't think we'd be doing this." I said as soon as our laughter died down.

Taylor wiped a tear from his eye. "No, I did not. Leave it to Ryan, huh?"

As he brought up Ryan's name, I began to worry about him. "Do you think he'll be alright?"

"Ryan always manages to land on his feet. He'll be okay." He smiled reassuringly.

My stomach turned over and my nausea returned. "I think I'm going to be sick." I held my stomach and groaned.

Taylor gestured to a barking Cujo beneath us. "If you're going to throw up, I suggest you do it on the dog. Maybe that will scare it off."

I peeked at the hound from hell. He was currently barking at us. "Aren't St. Bernard dogs supposed to be friendly?"

"I don't know. Didn't they make a movie about one that killed a bunch of people?"

"Yeah, but it was just a movie and the dog in it had rabies. Do you think he has rabies?" I peered down at Cujo again. Looking disinterested in us, Cujo sniffed a bush. I hoped he would eventually forget about us and return home.

"I don't know. He's slobbering a lot."

"Yeah but don't they all slobber?" Our odd conversation was interrupted by my ringing cell phone. It was Liz.

I answered, "Hey, Liz. Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine. We made it back to the car. Are you guys on your way?"

"Actually no. We're kind of stuck in a tree with Dean Cooper's dog hanging out beneath it."

Liz gasped, "No way."

I sighed. "Way. So until he leaves, we're stuck here. Any sign of Ryan?" At the time I told Liz this I saw Cujo taking a seat on the floor. He was making himself comfortable. It was beginning to look like it would be a while before we'd be able to climb back down.

"No and he's not answering his phone. Maybe he's hiding in the house somewhere and can't answer." She said trying to sound hopeful but neither one of us believed it. Ryan got caught in Dean Cooper's house. All we could do was hope he didn't end up expelled or in jail.

"Yeah. Maybe." I knew the tone of my voice wasn't very convincing.

"Well, we'll wait for you in the car, okay?"

"Okay." We said our goodbyes then hung up. Looking at the watch I confirmed it was around eleven.

I turned to Taylor. "Liz and Zach made it out. They'll wait for us in the car."

A cold breeze blew through the trees and I shivered. When I put on my black t-shirt that night I didn't take the cold into account. Taylor glanced at me. "You cold?"

"A little." I rubbed my arms.

He stretched an arm out. "Come on."

I was not about to turn down a potential source of heat, so I leaned in and let him wrap his arm around my shoulder. As I laid my head on his shoulder, Taylor placed his chin on my head. There was no weirdness whatsoever about our positions. I knew it was only meant to be a friendly gesture.

"My butt's asleep. How's yours doing?" Since coming to Dartmouth, I'd developed a habit of just blurting out whatever popped into my mind.

Taylor let out a short bark of laughter. "Thanks for that. This has been one weird night."

I sighed, "You said it."

We fell into a comfortable silence until Taylor asked, "What do you think lives in this tree?"

* * *

About two hours and countless discussions on tree creatures later, we saw Cujo get up and run off in the direction of his home. It looked like he heard something in the distance. Hopefully it was his owner calling him.

"Oh, thank God. He's gone." I breathed a sigh of relief.

"I think we should wait here a bit before heading back. Just to make sure he's gone."

"Good idea." When after ten minutes, we saw no sign of Cujo's return so we climbed down the tree. Taylor stretched his arms above his head while I tried to wake up my sleeping foot.

"Do you know where we are?" I looked around thinking we might have gotten lost.

"Yeah. We should head in the opposite direction of Dean Cooper's house. We should be out of here in no time."

After about fifteen minutes of walking we made it out of the woods. We still had to walk two blocks to the car. When we arrived Liz and Zach were sitting in the car waiting for us. There was still no sign of Ryan. As I climbed into the back seat with Taylor, Liz turned on the heater for us. Zach was too busy snoring and didn't even notice our arrival.

Liz turned in her seat to look at us. "You guys okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just worried about Ryan?" I got busy rubbing my arms trying to warm up.

"Me too." Liz then turned her attention back to the window. I could tell that she was worried.

After another fifteen minutes we finally saw Ryan walking down the street. His pants were shredded at the bottom and one of his sneakers was missing. Liz jumped out of the car and hugged him. He climbed into to the backseat next to me. His arrival woke Zack up. "Dude, where were you? Did you get it?"

Ryan glared at us all before breaking into his trademark grin as he produced the robe. He was then bombarded with questions as everyone wanted to know how he pulled it off. He waved our questions away. "I'll tell you when we get back to the apartment. I'm starving." Liz started up the engine and drove us back to the apartment.

Sitting in the living room around Ryan, we watched as he inhaled the leftover pizza like there was not tomorrow. Seriously, if I were a bucket of chicken I'd be terrified. We were dying to hear his story.

Liz couldn't wait anymore. "Well? What happened?"

Ryan smiled around his pizza, "Well, after you guys ran away and left me. Thanks for that by the way. I…"

Ryan's POV

Watching the retreating figures of my friends in the distance, I knew I was screwed. _Son of a bitch! I can't believe the bastards left me._ Dean Cooper shot into the air, not at them. As if the Dean would want to end up in the news as the nut job that shot a bunch of kids. He was just trying to scare them off and it worked. I didn't have time to dwell on their betrayal as I heard his footsteps in the house.

_Shit!_ I had to hide. I looked around what looked like a study and hid behind the drapes. My heart pounded in my ear as I heard the approaching footsteps stop. Suddenly the light flicked on and I heard Dean Cooper's voice. "Son, you're about as big as you are dumb. Do you know that I can see your feet?"

_Damn!_ I was busted. Peeking out from behind the drapes, my eyes scanned the room until my gaze landed on Dean Cooper's amused face. But if I didn't know any better I would swear that he was wearing a skirt. I could see his hairy knees and everything. He still had the shotgun in his hands and he used it to wave me out of the room. "Come along, boy, I don't have all night."

I walked down the hallway and into the living room where he told me to have a seat on his couch. As he sat in his recliner across from me, I picked a spot on his wall and kept my eyes there. I had no desire whatsoever to see his love spuds. Dean Cooper was a medium built, middle-aged man with gray hair. He didn't look like the type of man who liked to cross dress in his spare time. _So why the skirt?_

Little did he know, I was freaking out on the inside as I tried to maintain a calm exterior. As he set his steely gaze on me, I knew I was screwed, _seriously screwed_. "What's your name, boy?"

I gulped, "Ryan Sinclair, sir." It made no sense lying. I knew he'd find it out anyway after the cops came. I was already imagining myself in that orange jumpsuit, making a shank out of my toothbrush and trying to keep the men off my ass, _literally_. My life was over. I was going to get kicked out of the school all because of some stupid frat. Man, I was such an idiot.

"Well, Ryan, I have good news and bad news. The good news is you're not going to get expelled and I'm not going to call the cops."

He set the shotgun down next to his recliner and I almost cried with relief. But I tensed up again when I tired to guess what the bad news was. I prayed it had nothing to do with the skirt he was wearing.

"The bad news is you're not getting away scotch free. You see, last year when you frat guys kidnapped my dog, I decided to have something special planned the next time you decided to pay me a visit." He stood up. Reaching behind the chair, he picked up a freaking bagpipe.

With a madman glint in his eyes, he smiled, "Kicking you out of school would be too easy. I decided to come up with my own brand of entertainment or torture, depending how you look at it." He positioned the bagpipe, began to play and thus my two hours of torture began.

I cringed. Oh God, it was the worst thing I'd ever heard. I didn't know much about Celtic music but I sure as hell knew it wasn't supposed to sound like _that_. Sinking into my chair, I allowed my mind to wander to my chicken shit friends.

Taylor. Some brother he was. He was so wrapped up in Izzyland he'd leave his own best friend in the dust just to keep her out of trouble. Already Izzy had him whipped. Not that she'd ever notice. Izzy was still hung up that Black guy.

I felt my irritation soften slightly when I though of Izzy. The little sister I never had. Even she ran for the hills. _That little weasel._ If she thought I was ever going to buy her, ugh …_tampons_ again, she had another thing coming. And she'd better not turn those big doe eyes on me either because I ain't falling for it.

Then there was Zach, my supposed partner in crime. _Ha!_ What a punkass bitch he was tonight. I get why Taylor left but Zach was supposed to be my wingman. He would have to find someone else to drive around with looking for fresh mice to feed his beloved Suzie Q. What was the deal with him and that snake anyway? He really needed to get himself a girlfriend.

Oh, then there was my Lizzy. The love of my life and bane of my existence. How one woman can make me so happy and drive me so crazy, I don't know. From the get go she was against the whole fraternity thing. We argued about it to the point that our relationship was strained. So I was surprised when she agreed to come with me tonight. But even my badass chick abandoned me. If she thought I would give her my usual sex marathon performance tonight, she was out of her mind. I sighed dejectedly. Who was I kidding? I would be happy if she'd let me smell her hair. Jeez, I was just as whipped as Taylor. Pathetic.

I couldn't really be mad at my friends. It was my own damned fault I was in this mess. This was all because I couldn't tell my Dad that I didn't want to work in his firm. I couldn't care less about joining the Alpha Thetas but it meant a lot to my Dad, so I did it. It was a rare occasion when my Dad got actually excited about something and that was only if my witch of a mother didn't ruin it first. Only now I was starting to see that the shit I was putting myself through wasn't even worth it. I would have to man the hell up and have a serious talk with Dad soon.

When I couldn't hear the bagpipe anymore I thought that God had finally pitied me and rendered me deaf. But as I watched Dean Cooper put down the bagpipe I felt relief. My torture was over. "And that concludes my concert performance for the evening. You may go now."

He laughed when I got up and shot him a dirty look. _Bastard._ When I opened the front door to leave I heard him behind me. "Oh, and don't forget this." He threw the robe at me and dropped a bombshell. "Welcome to the Alpha Thetas, brother." He then shut the door in shell-shocked my face.

I wasn't allowed much time to ponder this as a monster of a dog rounded the corner, forcing me to run for my life. "Holy shit, it's Cujo!"

* * *

BPOV

By the end of Ryan's tale we were all roaring with laughter. Who would've thought that Dean Cooper was an Alpha Theta too? It was a miracle that none of us were in jail. I was so relieved that everything worked out. Maybe things could finally go back to normal.

As our laughter died down Liz asked Ryan, "So how does it feel to finally be a brother?"

Ryan looked thoughtful for a moment then flashed us a small smile. "I don't know. I'm kind of having second thoughts about the whole frat thing." That came as a shock to us all because of how gung-ho and determined he was about the whole thing.

Zach wasn't able to hide his relief. "Dude, I was wondering when you would come to your senses. What changed your mind?" He was obviously glad to have his best friend back.

Ryan scratched his head. "I just realized that I would rather be a part of this group than that one." He reached out and squeezed Liz's hand while she tried to pretend that she wasn't overjoyed he wasn't joining the frat. I smiled and shook my head. They would be okay.

Liz suddenly snapped to attention. "It would have been nice if you could have come to that conclusion _sometime_ before Izzy had to sell her ass." The guys all had questioning looks on their faces.

I blurted, "Liz!" Damn her and her big mouth. She made it sound like I agreed to have sex with Dillon in exchange for his help. Besides, I thought we'd agreed not to tell the guys.

Ryan frowned and asked slowly, "What is she talking about, Izzy?"

Having no intention to answer him, I gnawed on my lip nervously. Liz however decided to save me the trouble. "She went to Dillon and asked him to give you a break with all the hazing and stuff. He's the one that got you the special mission. In exchange, Izzy has to have lunch with him tomorrow."

A guilty look flittered across Ryan's face. "Izzy, you didn't have to do that. Look, tomorrow I'll go turn over the robe and clear up all this lunch crap."

Taylor snorted and rolled his eyes, "Yeah right. You actually think Dillon is going to trade a date with Izzy for some robe?"

"Taylor's right, Ryan. Dillon's finally got her in his clutches. He's not going to let her go so easily." Zach grumbled.

I interjected. "It's okay, guys. Really. It's not even a date. Just a friendly lunch. Dillon gets that." I tried to convince them.

Ryan's expression darkened with malice. "Yeah, he better get it or he'll be dealing with me."

Liz rolled her eyes while I sighed in frustration. I wasn't excited about my lunch with Dillon but they were acting like the guy was the freaking anti Christ. I knew they were worried but Dillon wasn't that bad. And even if he was, I could take care of myself.

* * *

**A/N:** So how did you like the frat mission and the special appearance of Stephen King's Cujo?

Hope you enjoyed a peek into Ryan's mind.

Coming up next in the next chapter, Bella's non-date with Dillon and she gets some bad news from an unexpected source.

One more thing though,I predict that this story will be over 200,000 words.

I have so much more crazy things in store for you. So buckle up.

You know what to do if you want your chapter faster.**Review!**


	19. Crack

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

I must warn you guys that you might be pissed at Jacob at the end of this chapter. I want you to read this chapter carefully.

Take in what is said and what is not said.

The move to the Bella only section is only **temporary**. I will move it back to J/B after her return home.**  
**

* * *

Chapter 19

_Oh God_. I was officially freaking out as I sat in my car, parked outside of Remy's Alley, which was a popular hangout for college kids. Dillon and I made plans to meet inside after I insisted he not pick me up. That would make it seem like it was a date when it wasn't. Plus having my car would give me an easy escape route. The last thing I wanted to do was to get stuck in a car with Dillon if our lunch went bad. I chose Remy's Ally because of its laid back atmosphere. If it was up to Dillon we would be eating at some expensive restaurant somewhere.

I glanced in my rearview mirror, for what seemed like the hundredth time, to check my appearance. My face was doing a great imitation of a tomato. Opening the car door, I stepped out hoping to get some fresh air and calm my nerves. Glancing down at my outfit, I was wearing dark wash jeans, a faux-wrap V-neck tunic and my hair was in a breezy ponytail.

Walking up to the door, I took a deep breath to calm myself then I opened the door and went in. Inside Remy's, the décor had an upscale feel to it with a lot of college related signs on the walls. As I looked around for Dillon, I spotted him sitting alone in a booth. He was wearing jeans and a blue polo shirt that really brought out his eyes. His face lit up when he saw me and he waved me over.

I slipped into the seat across from him. "Hey, sorry I'm late."

"I was worried you weren't coming." He grinned and I rolled my eyes. Dillon knew damn well I would show up.

"A deal's a deal, Dillon." I picked up my menu.

"So is that the only reason you came today?" I glanced up to see him looking at me intently.

I blushed and mumbled, "Sort of." I really didn't want to hurt his feelings but if it weren't for the favor he did Ryan, we wouldn't be having lunch together. When his face looked disappointed I added quickly, "It's not the only reason. But to be fair I told you upfront that I wasn't ready to date."

He smiled and picked up his menu, "Well, I guess we'll just use this as an opportunity to get to know each other. By the way, you look beautiful." The guy sure could turn on the charm. I had to give him that.

I mumbled thanks and hid my blush behind my menu.

After the waitress left with our order we talked about our families. Dillon told me about his home in Bel Air. His father was a plastic surgeon and his mother was a socialite. I'd suspected he had a bit of preppy streak in him but for the most part he seemed pretty laid back and confident. I talked about Renee, Charlie and Phil. My life probably seemed pretty boring after I left out all the supernatural stuff.

"Hey, I forgot to thank you for helping Ryan out." I ventured.

"It didn't do any good though. I heard he declined membership this morning." He sipped his beer.

"Well, it was a nice thing for you to do." He really didn't have to go out of his way to talk to his brothers for me.

"You do know I only did that because you asked, right? I didn't do it for Ryan." By the tone of his voice I sensed that Ryan's dislike of him went both ways. I decided to change the subject.

"Dean Cooper sure scared the crap out of us last night." I laughed.

His face lit up in surprise. "You were there?"

"Yeah, but only until Dean Cooper started shooting at us. We spent the rest of the night running from his dog." The waitress arrived with our food and we dove in.

Dillon looked thoroughly impressed. "Wow. You really have a wild streak. I can't wait to see it for myself." He flashed a smile that I would've been dazzled by if he was a vampire.

As we ate, conversation flowed easily. He told me some stories about frat life that made me break out in fits of giggles. He had a sarcastic sense of humor that was refreshing. When we were finished with lunch, he walked me out to my car.

Standing on the passenger side of my car I turned to say goodbye to Dillon. "Thanks for lunch, Dillon. It was nice." I fiddled with my keys nervously.

"See, it wasn't so bad and I can promise you an even better time on our first real date. So what'd you say?" His lips curled into a smile and I couldn't help but smile back. He really was cute. Maybe when I was ready to date, I would date him.

"Still not interested in dating but I'll let you know when. Okay?" I laughed.

"Okay." He lean in and gave me a hug that lasted a tad bit too long then kissed me on the cheek.

I got in my car and waved at him as I drove away. All in all, it wasn't the terrible experience I feared it would've been. Dillon was nice enough without being too pushy. When I got back to the apartment I was bombarded with questions from my friends.

"How did it go?" Liz inquired.

"How was your lunch at Chez Boring?" Taylor grumbled moodily. Ever since he found out about my lunch with Dillon he'd been in a pissy mood.

"Did you kiss him?" Leave it to pervert Zach.

"Did he touch you, Izzy? Because if he did, Dillon Buchanon and I are gonna have a misunderstanding." This burst of testosterone came from Ryan as he cracked his knuckles.

I threw my keys on the side table and sat down on the couch in between Liz and Ryan. "Relax. We had lunch at Remy's. No, I did not kiss him and he did not touch me. Well… not like that. I didn't have a terrible time."

"So are you going to date him now?" Liz grinned hopefully.

"No. But it was nice getting to know him a little." I decided to leave it at that. I wasn't ready to make any romantic steps just yet.

* * *

About month after the whole fraternity business I got the call I'd been dreading. And it didn't even come from the person I'd been expecting it to. The gang and I were watching Comedy Central one night when my cell rang.

I was too lazy to get up from my position next to Taylor. "Liz, could you get that for me please?"

Liz grabbed the phone from the couch and passed it to me. "Here you go."

I flipped the phone open and answered without looking at the number first. "Hello." I answered.

I'd been expecting Leah's call but it wasn't her on the on the end. "You lied to me." At that moment I felt my heart stop because it wasn't Leah's voice. It was Jacob's. This only meant one thing. Leah slipped up in her thoughts while she was phased and now Jacob knew everything. I could felt the blood drain from my face.

Finding my voice, I stuttered, "I-I didn't lie." By this time I'd drawn the attention of everyone with the tone of my voice. I couldn't have this conversation in front of them.

I had to get the hell out of there. Dashing out of the room, I narrowly missed stepping on Zach as he lay on the floor. I stumbled into my room and sat dumbly on my bed in the darkness.

"Bullshit, Bella. You said you left because you didn't want to be like your mom. Now I find out from Leah… fucking Leah of all people that you left me because of imprinting! You lied to me!" He bellowed into the phone and I cringed. I'd never heard him so angry before. I barely recognized his voice. He sounded so harsh and cold.

"Would you have let me go if I'd told you the truth?" I demanded.

"You know I damn well wouldn't have let you go. You're there a few months and already some maniac tries to kill you and you didn't even call me. I could have kept you safe." He grumbled.

"I don't need you to keep me safe, Jacob. I can take care of myself," I spat angrily. He made it sound like I was a feeble invalid and I resented the hell out of it.

"You still ended up in the hospital. How the hell do you call that taking care of yourself?" He growled sarcastically.

"Because I fucking survived, that's how." I couldn't believe he was acting that way. I thought he'd be proud of me. "You're just upset that you didn't get to play hero. You always liked saving the damsel in distress, didn't you?" My voice was bitter and mean. It hurt so damn much to know that he didn't believe in me. That he liked his Bells weak and defenseless.

I heard a crash over the phone as he smashed something. "How the hell can you say that to me? Don't you dare make this about me. This is about you and your fucking lies!" He snarled. Hearing the violence in his tone, I wondered again why he sounded so different.

"God! What was I supposed to do, Jake? Stay and let you break my heart? Break both our hearts? I couldn't do that to myself, not after what I went through with Edward. I would've lost my mind." I tried to make him understand.

"That's the thing about lies, Bella. How can I believe what you just said? How do I know you're not over there with the leech right now?" he growled.

Around the hurt in my chest, I answered, "If you really think that then you really don't know me at all." I shut my eyes. _This is a nightmare_. After all the times I'd dreamed about hearing his voice, I never expected it to be like this.

"You don't know what you've done, Bella. Things might have been different if you'd stayed." He said sadly and I felt as if there was some hidden meaning to his words. Like there was something I was missing. "I'm done, Bella. I'm through chasing after you. I don't care what you do anymore." He stated firmly.

Suddenly it me like a ton of bricks as I finally realized why he sounded the way he did. Why he could say those spiteful things to me. Needing to hear it from him, I asked, "Have you imprinted, Jacob?" The phone shook in my hand.

The ensuing silence spoke volumes. Then in a dead, toneless voice he said, "Goodbye, Bella." He hung up. I sat immobile on the bed staring at my moonlit window.

It was over. It was dead and buried, final nail in the coffin over. The pain in my chest was reminiscent of the days after Edward left me. Over and over in my mind I thought, _he's not mine anymore_. The thought was ridiculous because he was never really mine in the first place.

The agony in my chest intensified as I recalled the hurtful things he'd said. After everything we'd been through together, how could he even think I would go back to Edward? I wondered if he ever really knew me in the first place. That was probably the most heartbreaking thing out of everything. "How could he not know me?" I whispered to the darkness.

I wondered if the pain would overwhelm me and cause my battered heart to stop beating. At that moment I would've welcomed death with open arms. Curiously enough my eyes were still dry but I knew the tears weren't far away. Soon enough I would break. It was only a matter of time.

Liz's voice broke me out of my private musings. "Um… Izzy?"

I turned my head to look at her. I didn't hear her come in because I'd neglected to close the door when I came in. Everyone had probably heard my screaming match with Jacob.

She had a nervous grip on the cordless phone. "I know it's not a good time but it's your friend Leah. She's insisting she talk to you. I don't know… she sounds really upset."

I stretched out my hand and she placed the phone in it. I swallowed the lump in my throat and answered, "Hello."

Leah's voice came through the phone. She was practically hysterical. "Oh God, Bella. I'm so sorry. I tried to hide it but Jacob went through my thoughts… He made me show him everything…" She spoke hurriedly.

As her voice trailed off I tried to decipher the meaning of her words. "Leah, how can he do that? He doesn't have that power, Sam does."

"He does now, Bella. Jacob's Alpha. He took the position from Sam." She said sadly.

I didn't care about that. "Why didn't you tell me, Leah?"

She knew from my pained tone what I meant. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I didn't know how to tell you about Carmen. I was trying to find the right time." Her voice was apologetic.

So little miss imprint had a name. _Carmen_. I bet she was perfect in all her Native American glory. "Oh. So that's her name. Carmen."

Leah sounded afraid. "Bella, I don't know when I'll be able to talk to you again or if ever. Jacob was angry, so angry. I don't-."

Whatever Leah was about to say to me was cut off by Jacob's roaring voice. "LEAH, YOU GET OUT HERE RIGHT NOW!" Jacob commanded in what I assumed to be his Alpha voice.

Leah sobbed and I felt afraid for her. Her voice was strained as she tried in vain to fight Jacob's order. "Bella… I'm sorry… I can't fight it." The phone went dead, just like my heart.

As my hand fell into my lap, I heard a noise. Glancing down, I saw Jacob's charm bracelet on the floor. It had broken off my wrist. _Well, isn't that ironic._

_Where do you go with your broken heart in tow?_

_What do you with the left over you?_

_And how do you know when to let go?_

_Where does the good go?_

_Where does the good go?_

I laughed at the sadness of my situation. It was an empty, hollow sound. My laughter turned into sobs as I felt the cracks in my heart.

Jacob didn't know me. _Crack._

Jacob imprinted. _Crack._

I'd lost Leah as a friend. _Crack._

The tears were brimming in my eyes. I felt the bed sink next to me and I turned, confused to see Liz's sympathetic gaze staring back at me.

I gasped, "Get out, Liz." My heart was breaking and I didn't want anyone to witness my misery.

Liz wrapped her arms around me a tight hug as if she was trying to hold me together. "I'm not going to let you go through this alone, Izzy."

My voice cracked, "Please go. I…want to be… alone." The only thing worse than feeling this way was feeling this way in front of others.

I tried to push her off but it was no use. Her grasp was iron-like and unyielding. Then I gave up trying to fight both Liz and the searing pain in my chest. Her body shook with the force of my sobs and hot tears ran down my cheeks. Liz was the only thing keeping me from drowning in a sea of agony. The remainder of my heart broke as I realized, it was over. Really over.

* * *

**A/N: **This chapter was sad to write. The lyrics belongs to the song 'Where does the good go' by Tegan and Sara.

Coming up in the next chapter Bella goes a little nuts and gets a kick in the pants.

You know what you need to do if you want your chapter early, Review!


	20. Betty Crocker on Crack

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

You guys really had me laughing with your reviews from the last chapter. Some of you were throwing rocks at Bella and some at Jacob.

It's nice to know that I can inspire such strong feelings in you.

* * *

Chapter 20

_I want to change the world,_

_instead I sleep._

_I want to believe in more than you and me._

_All that I know is I'm breathing._

_All I can do is keep breathing._

Sleep never came the night before. Every time I closed my eyes I would dream about Jacob and Carmen then the tears would start again. They always looked perfect and happy, like they belonged together. I guessed they did. The universe had confirmed it after all. Imprinting was absolute and unbreakable. Leah, Sam and Emily were proof enough of that little fact.

Liz stayed in my room with me all night but she had to leave to get ready for classes. I heard her voice outside my door talking to Ryan. She sounded so angry as she told him about how upset I was the night before. As I heard her say how much she hated Jacob, I felt the urge to defend him. After all, it wasn't his fault he imprinted. It wasn't anyone's fault that he didn't love me anymore. The imprint just came first with him. It was the way all the wolves were wired.

The sun shone through my window but in my heart, the sun had died and darkness now resided in its place. I had no desire to get up out of bed. The feeling scared me to death because I didn't want to get out of bed ever again. The last time I'd felt like this Jacob had been there to see me through it. But I had no one this time and I didn't know what to do with myself.

My eyes felt gritty and my throat burned. I was definitely feeling the effects of being up all night crying. There was a soft knock on my door. "Izzy, you up?" Liz sounded so tired.

Pulling my eyes away from the ceiling, I watched to door open. "Izzy… I'm leaving to go to my classes now… Will you be okay?" Her eyes were a little red too. Whether it was from lack of sleep or crying, I didn't know.

I just wanted to be alone with my anguish. "I'll be okay." I winced at the hoarseness of my voice.

My attempt to reassure Liz was unconvincing. "Are you sure, because I could stay home… I just have a test… but I could miss it. It's no big deal." Her brows creased with worry as she took in my appearance and I wondered just how terrible I looked.

I really didn't want her hovering around me and I certainly didn't want her to miss her test. Trying harder to persuade her, I said, "No it's fine, Liz. I'll be all right. I promise." I even mustered up a small smile for her.

Reluctantly she replied, "Well, okay then… I'll come straight home after classes. Okay?"

I mumbled, "Okay." She left closing the door softly behind her.

Alone in the apartment, I let the fresh tears flow. After what seemed like an eternity, I forced myself to get up. I couldn't stay in bed anymore. Rolling my body off the bed, I saw my charming bracelet lying in the same spot it'd fallen. That was the last thing I need to see. Frantically, I used my foot to push it under the bed and out of my sight.

A quick glance at my appearance in the mirror confirmed my suspicions. I looked awful. My eyes were red and puffy. My hair looked like a bird's nest and I was still wearing my clothes from the night before. In a desperate attempt to feel better, I decided to take a bath. I ended up crying on the floor while the shower ran. I didn't know how long I sat there but it was long enough for the warm water to turn freezing cold.

I dragged myself into the bedroom and threw on a clean shirt and jeans. Walking into the kitchen, I decided to make myself a sandwich even though I had no interest in eating. But in the end, I just ended up picking at it. I just wasn't hungry. The silence of the apartment was beginning to get to me, so I wandered into the living room and turned on the television. I flipped from station to station but nothing held in attention until I landed on the Food Channel. Just like with Edward, it helped ease the twisting pain in my chest.

As I watched the cake challenge, I realized what I needed. I needed something to occupy my mind. Baking would help me keep my thoughts away from… _deep breath_… Jacob.

As I dug around in the kitchen cupboards for ingredients, I realized I would have to take a trip to the grocery store. I grabbed the keys to my car and drove to the store. I think I went a little crazy in the baking aisle. My intention was to bake some muffins and maybe some cookies. But I got caught up in the colorful packaging of the many dessert glazes and chocolate squares. Being unable to resist the lure of sprinkles and neon frosting colors, I ended up buying a lot more than I intended. I also piled my cart with bags of flour, cream cheese, milk, eggs, sugar, pie crusts and pastry fillings, among other things.

As I stood at the checkout lane the cashier eyed my purchases and whistled, "You baking for an army?"

"Yeah, you can say that." I mumbled distractedly as I dug around in my bag for my credit card. I paid the hefty bill then the bag boy Joey, helped me put my groceries in the car. With a much needed sense of purpose I drove back to the apartment. It took about four trips between my car and the apartment to get everything unloaded.

Before I started to bake, I decided it would be a good idea to look up different recipes on the internet first. Making the decision to start off small, I began mixing the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies. After I'd put the cookies in the oven, armed with the recipe for blueberry muffins, I got to work again.

When the cookies were done I put the muffins in the oven. Every time I thought about taking a break, the pain would come roaring back so I kept on baking. If baking was what it took to avoid the pain, then I planned to bake forever.

Hours later, the front door opened and in walked the gang (minus Taylor) just as I was mixing the ingredients for brownies. They all paused to take in the odd scene of me covered in flour, surrounded by various baked goods.

"Um… Are you alright, Izzy?" Ryan asked cautiously.

I added in a teaspoon of vanilla and replied, "I'm fine."

"Leave her alone, Ryan. She's self medicating." Liz attempted to joke and I couldn't even pretend to smile.

Zach mumbled, "She's like Betty Crocker on crack." Then he grabbed a muffin and took a bite. "Damn, Izzy. This is some good stuff."

My hand never paused in my mixing as I mumbled, "Thanks."

They filed into the kitchen to taste the fruits of my pent up misery and angst. After complimenting my baking skills, they left me to continue in peace. Later that night, when the pain in my back and legs forced me to stop, I sat on the couch watching the Food Channel.

Liz came in and sat beside me. "How are you really, Izzy?" Worry evident on her face.

I wished she would just go to bed and leave me alone. "I'm fine."

"You've said 'I'm fine' so many times today that it doesn't even mean anything anymore. You are not fine." She pressed.

I didn't bother to answer as I was trying extra hard not to think about the reason I wasn't fine.

Liz sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Why don't you try to get some sleep, Izzy? It's late." A glance at the clock confirmed that it was almost midnight.

"I can't sleep because when I sleep, I dream and…" My voice trailed off as the pain flared again. "I just need a little time to forget and then I'll be able to sleep again, okay?" I said softly.

"All right. You know what? I'm not really tired either. So how about I keep you company for a bit?" She reached out and took my hand in hers.

"Okay." I turned my attention back to the television and we watched in silence until Liz went to bed.

I took a bath and changed into a t-shirt and shorts. Not having any desire to sleep, I stood at my window and stared up at the night sky. The sense of loneliness left me feeling overwhelmed and I went back into the kitchen to clean up the mess I'd made. When I was finished with that, I went back to bed and tried to sleep. But again sleep was elusive. And I ended up staring at the ceiling all night trying to think about anything and everything but the reason I couldn't sleep.

I spent the following day in the same pattern. I went to the store, purchased more ingredients, brought them back home and baked some more. Finally, I was able to understand why some people turned to drugs and alcohol to help numb the pain. Baking became my drug. The great thing about it was that there was always a new recipe out there to try. I had all I needed to occupy my thoughts and it was a relief. Not wanting to deal with my pain was… unhealthy, yes, but it was the best I could do.

I was removing my third batch of cupcakes from the oven when Ryan, Zach and Liz came home. I still hadn't seen Taylor since the night of… the call and I couldn't bring myself to wonder where he was. Seeing that I was still in my baking frenzy, Liz and Zach went to sit in the living room. I knew that I was starting to really scare them but I couldn't force myself to care.

Ryan, however, came into the kitchen with the intention of getting me to eat something. He made a sandwich and placed it on the counter. "Come on, Izzy. You need to eat something."

I was busy trying to remove a cupcake that insisted on sticking to the pan. "No thank you."

Ryan gently pushed again. "It'll be good for you. Besides, I know you haven't eaten anything all day."

I sighed with frustration. _Non-stick pan my ass_. The damn cupcake seemed to be permanently wedged in. "I said no thanks."

"Please, Izzy. Just have a few bites, for me." Ryan was pleading with me now.

I knew I was upsetting him but all I wanted was for him to go away. "Would you just please leave me alone? Just leave me alone." I could feel my eyes starting to burn and I bit my trembling lip.

Whatever Ryan was about to say was cut off when the front door flew open and Taylor stormed in. He looked exhausted and pissed off as his eyes scanned the room. As he zeroed in on my location he purposely moved toward the kitchen. He only got as far as the entrance when Ryan's large figure blocked him from entering.

Taylor's eyes narrowed. Gritting his teeth, he growled, "Move now."

"I don't think you should be here right now, man." Ryan was using his protective brother stance and I couldn't understand why. Taylor certainly wasn't a danger to me.

As they faced off in the kitchen, I began to worry. The scene was like something out of a Wild West movie. All they were missing was the tumble weed blowing through the kitchen. Neither one of them wanted to back down. Suddenly Liz appeared between them. Looking over Taylor's shoulder, my eyes landed on a perturbed looking Zach. Like me, he'd never seen Ryan and Taylor angry with each other before today and we didn't know what to make of it. They were as close as two men could be without being well… gay.

Placing her hand on Ryan's arm she tried to reassure him, "It'll be okay. I think you should let him talk to her. He's in control, right, Taylor?" She gave Taylor a meaningful stare and he nodded. _What does she mean control? And what the hell does Taylor have to be mad about?_

"Fine, but we'll be right outside the door." Ryan warned. He then allowed Liz to lead him and Zach out of the apartment.

Taylor's eyes scanned kitchen as he strode over to stand in front of me. He stared at me as if he was trying to read my mind. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he asked, "What do you need, Izzy?"

I didn't expect that. I expected him to try to get me to eat or sleep. The stabbing pain told me that I was beginning to feel again. Looking away, I mumbled, "Cookies. I need to make more cookies."

He grabbed my hand as I turned back to the counter with the intention to bake some. "No. No more baking, Izzy."

I tried to jerk my hand away but he refused to let go. "Let go, Taylor."

"Why should I? Look at what you're doing to yourself." He gestured around the kitchen with his free hand. "Do you think this is healthy? This isn't normal."

I didn't want to think and I definitely did not want to talk about what I was doing. To tell you the truth, Taylor was beginning to piss me off. _He had no right to come in here and judge me_. "Leave me alone. This is none of your business." I snapped.

He chose to ignore my comment. "Is this what you did with Edward? Lock your emotions up and push everyone that cared about you away? Well, it's not going to work. Not with me." His tightened his grip on my hand and yanked me out of the kitchen and down the hall.

I let out a small, indignant scream and tried to pry my hand loose but it didn't do any good. Neither did trying to dig my heels into the carpet. He ignored me as I screamed at him. "Taylor, what are you doing? Damn it! Let go!"

He hauled me into my bedroom and dragged me to stand in front of my mirror. "Take a damn good look. Look at what you're doing to yourself!" He said forcefully.

Staring in the mirror was like seeing into the past. And what a sight I was. My hair was lackluster. My face was even paler than usual and my eyes looked dull and lifeless with dark circles under them. The girl in the mirror was all too familiar and she looked like hell.

Taylor spun me around to face him as he held me by the shoulders. "This isn't you, Izzy."

"And what the hell do you know about me? Nothing, that's what," I spat. I wasn't just angry at Taylor, I was angry at every crappy thing that had ever happened to me.

His grip tightened. "I know you're tougher than this. You're not some weak-willed, helpless little girl."

"You don't know how I feel. You have no idea what it's like to have your heart hurt so bad that you want to rip it from your chest. You have no idea." My voice cracked. The unbearable pain in my chest was coming back.

"You're right. I don't know how you feel. But you are not the only one in pain in this world. There are people that can't walk, people that are homeless and people that are dying. These people have it a whole lot worse than you do. You can't keep feeling sorry for yourself because you had your heart broken." With a hint of shame I realized Taylor was right. I was wallowing in self pity. "I'm not going to baby you. You have to dig yourself out of that misery filled pit you're in. You better get your shit together because if you don't, I will drag your ass to see a psychiatrist."

My face crumpled as I began to feel the full weight of my pain and everything I'd done. Once again I was only thinking of myself and I was doing the exact thing I'd promise never to do again. Only this time, it was because of Jacob that I hurt myself and my friends. Selfish Bella was still lurking around after all. I was grateful Charlie wasn't around to see me. I'd cause him enough grief without having him witness my relapse.

I broke down and Taylor wrapped his arms around me as I sobbed. "I'm s-sorry. He doesn't care about me anymore and it hurts!"

He picked me up and walked to the edge of my bed. Sitting down, he cradled me in his arms. "I know it hurts but you have to try harder. Even though you may feel like it now, your life is not over." He whispered while I sobbed into his chest.

"It's not f-fair." I hiccuped.

"It never is." Taylor murmured.

It seemed like every time I wanted a life with someone, something bad would come along to spoil it. Maybe I was cursed. I couldn't have a life with Edward because he was a vampire and I couldn't have a life with Jacob because of imprinting. I was beginning to think I was destined to live my life alone. Maybe love just wasn't for me.

Later that night after Taylor left, I sat at the window looking up at the moon. I honestly believed I did the best thing by leaving Forks. Even though Jacob probably hated me for doing it, I was able to see the big picture. He could have his fairytale ending without having to feel guilty about leaving me. Although my heart felt like it had been mangled, I would try my best to be happy for him.

I got up and went to my nightstand. I removed the only picture I had of us, along with the letter he wrote me. _Pain_. I then knelt down and pulled the charm bracelet from under the bed_. More pain_. Sitting on the floor in front of my closet, I took out an empty shoe box and placed the three items in it. Looking in the box, I felt like I should say something.

"Taylor's right. I'm going to try to do better now," I whispered.

"Even though I don't have you, I still have my friends, family and school. Even though you don't…" I wasn't able to finish that sentence. "I'm still happy you found your soul mate. I always knew you deserved better than me. Your imprinting just confirms that." I felt a small smile cross my face.

My cheeks were slick with tears. "I will always love you but I don't want to feel like this anymore. I have to try to move on with my life. I hope you find your happiness, Jake." I felt a little better.

Breathing through the pain, I placed the lid back on the box and pushed it to the back of my closet. I closed my eyes and pictured an imaginary box in my mind. In it, I put all of my love, hope and longing for Jacob then sealed it shut. To preserve my sanity, it needed to be done. That night I was finally able to get some sleep. It's a painful process, having to grow up and let go. Anyone who said differently was a goddamn liar.

* * *

**A/N: **This chapter was a bit easier to write than the previous one. Lyrics at the top are from Ingrid Michaelson's _Keep Breathing_ song.

I refuse to let Bella spend all of her college years pining away after Jacob, that would be so... unhealthy.

Coming up next Bella gets a mystery call from someone in La Push.


	21. Between us Girls

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

Congratulations to** mauralee88,Enchantress In Black and dirtychicken for guessing Emily.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter.  
**

* * *

Chapter 21

The day after my breakdown, Taylor drove me to a homeless shelter to donate all the things I baked… well what I'd managed to wrestle away from Zach and Ryan. My friendship with Taylor grew even stronger after my _episode_. He'd seen me at my absolute worst and told me to snap the hell out of it, believing I was a lot tougher than even Jacob was willing to give me credit for. It was nice to know he didn't think of me as a shrinking violet.

I returned to my classes but I had to play catch up as I'd missed three days. Liz was relieved to have her 'blood sister' back. When she asked about what Jacob said to upset me, I just told her I found out he was dating someone. Even though I still felt the pain and sadness of Jacob's imprinting, I didn't allow myself to get carried away. And on the really bad days, I told myself that as long as I was the only one in pain then it was okay.

But there was one thing I was not okay with. A month had passed but I still hadn't heard from Leah. All my calls and text messages to her cell went unanswered. I was really beginning to worry. Our last conversation scared me as I'd never heard Jacob so angry before. I didn't think he would hurt her but then again, I wasn't dealing with the same Jacob Black I used to know. I was even thinking of asking Charlie to have Sue call me as he'd recently confessed to dating her. But I didn't know if I wanted to get her involved.

One night, I received a call from someone unexpected. I was chatting online with Angela in my room. She told me about a new guy she'd been dating. As I was thanking her for sending me the pictures from our vacation, my cell rang. I didn't recognize the number when I checked the caller ID.

I answered hesitantly, "Hello?"

"Um… Hi. Is this Bella?" I heard a female voice asked.

"Yes. Bella speaking." The voice sounded familiar.

"Hi Bella, it's me, Emily Young." Her voice sounded a little nervous.

To say I was surprised would be an understatement. Why on earth would Emily be calling me? "Emily, um… how are you?"

"I'm fine. I'm calling about Leah."

I gasped. "Leah? Is she okay?"

"She's on punishment, Bella. Jacob put an injunction on her so she can't communicate with you." She said sadly. I finally understood why she wouldn't answer any of my text messages either. If he said she couldn't talk to me then Leah could have wrote but he'd effectively cut off all forms of communication. There was no way around the injunction this time.

It hurt to think that Jacob would do something like that. That he would deliberately try to hurt me by taking away my friendship with Leah. Then I figured out why Emily was calling me. Leah couldn't talk to me so she went to Emily to contact me on her behalf. Normally, Emily would never go against Sam but she must have felt like she owed Leah big time. And Leah, calculating woman that she was, must have predicted she'd feel that way.

"Leah wanted you to know why she's not answering your calls and that she's okay. She said to tell you she's sorry," Emily continued.

"Leah has nothing to be sorry about. I know it was an accident." I knew I shouldn't have cared considering what he'd done but I decided to ask anyway. "How's Jacob doing?"

"He's so angry at the two of you." Emily sighed.

"I know he is, Emily, but I didn't leave to hurt him. I just didn't want to end up like…" I didn't want to hurt her feelings but I had to be honest.

"Like Leah? Yeah, I know." Emily finished sadly. I knew she'd never forgive herself for what she and Sam did to Leah.

"I thought that by leaving I'd be giving him a chance at happiness without having to break my heart." My heart was broken anyway but she didn't have to know that.

"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Bella. I understand. In fact all of the wolf girls feel the same way I do." She confided.

That was a surprise. "What? I thought all of you girls hated me for leaving."

Emily sighed. "Hated you? Bella, all of us have seen what can happen when a wolf gets serious with someone he hasn't imprinted on. It's not that hard to understand why you chose to leave instead of staying and seeing it happen right in front of you." I bet Carmen shared that sentiment. It was nice to know they understood that I wasn't trying to be mean or vindictive by leaving. That for once, I was trying to put myself first.

"Thanks, Emily. Does Sam know you're calling?" I knew Sam's loyalty would lie with the pack and I didn't want to cause problems between them.

"No, he doesn't. And I think it's best if he never finds out. Let's just keep this between us girls." I never knew Emily could be that sneaky.

"Emily, how long do you think Jacob will keep the injunction for?" I was beginning to feel angry at Jacob. I understood why he was upset with me but he had no right to stop Leah and me from being friends. He had his perfect life with his soul mate, the least he could've done was leave me my friend.

Emily sighed. "It's going to be a while, Bella. And until then, Leah won't be returning your calls." She paused for a bit, and then continued, "You know, Bella, I have to say, I was really surprised when I found out that you and Leah were friends. But I guess I can understand why she'd talk to you."

I was curious. "Yeah? Why?"

"Because you might be the only person who could really get why she is the way she is." I guess Emily was right but she was wrong too. No one else ever really tried to figure Leah out. They were all so quick to permanently label her a bitch then leave it at that. At least Emily was trying to talk to her now. That had to count for something.

"How is Leah handling everything, Emily? I mean really." Leah wasn't the type to take this lying down.

"She's giving them hell. If they thought she was bad before, they were wrong. Sam told me the constant rage and resentment they feel from her has the entire pack on edge. She's definitely not making this easy for Jacob." I detected a slight hint of pride in Emily's voice.

"At least one good thing came out of this." I was determined to see the bright side in all of this.

"What?"

"Out of everyone, Leah chose to come to you for help." My tone was matter of fact.

Emily was tried her best not to sound too hopeful. "Yeah, that could have been because the other girls might not have gone against their wolves."

"That might be true but she could have gone to Rachel just as easily. So the fact that she came to you says something."

"Yeah, I guess so. But I know I still have a long way to go before she forgives me."

"But this is a step in the right direction." I silently vowed to do whatever I could to help their relationship along. "Will you call again, Emily?" Talking to Emily made me realize how much I missed everyone in La Push.

"I'll try, Bella. I have to go now. Sam will be home soon. It was good hearing your voice." I heard the smile in her voice.

"It was good to hear yours too Emily. Thanks for calling." After we said our goodbyes and hung up, I lay on my bed thinking about the conversation I just had with Emily.

It was nice to know that the wolf girls could understand why I left even if Jacob couldn't. I hoped he would one day though. After all, because of what I did he was able to be with Carmen now without the additional baggage.

* * *

We were all grateful when the fall semester of our sophomore year came to a close. I was looking forward to Christmas. It would be our first Christmas together since we became friends with Zach. Ryan decided to give Zach his room so he could be closer to us. Then he moved in with Liz and me, or more accurately, moved into Liz's room. It really didn't make much of a difference as Ryan was already a permanent fixture in our apartment.

We were trying to decide where to spend our Christmas vacation. Liz and I wanted to spend it at home but the boys wanted to check out the Ski Center. Well… Taylor and Ryan wanted to ski but Zach said his 'people' didn't fly down snow covered mountains with two sticks strapped to their feet. Liz and I won out in the end, with Zach being the deciding vote and we spent a ski-less Christmas together.

I brought Leah a silver bracelet and had each of the circles on it engraved with different friendship quotes. My intent was to remind her that she wasn't alone. That I hadn't forgotten about our friendship and that I wouldn't give up on her. I deliberately left out my name when I had it sent to her house. She would be able to tell it was from me.

It was about a week before winter classes were due to start. Liz and I were in the kitchen doing the dishes when she turned to me with her eyes full of mischief. "So I saw Dillon about a week ago and he asked about you _again_. He said to say hi."

I'd seen him around campus a few times since our lunch thing and we even had lunch together at the Dining Hall a few times. Rolling my eyes, I replied, "Does this conversation have a point?"

"Yes, it does. When are you going to start dating?" Liz pressed.

I groaned, "Oh for the love of God." _Not this again._ Ever since the whole Jacob thing, Liz had been on me non-stop about dating. "When I'm good and ready, that's when," I snapped.

She pouted, "Jeez, you're so bitchy these days. What's the matter? Are you on your period or something?"

I gasped, "God, Liz. I am _not_ on my period. And stop tracking my cycle. It's creepy."

Liz refused to give up. "All I'm saying is that Jacob Black is not letting himself wither away on the vine like you're doing. Women only have a few years to be pretty and youthful and then _zip_. Your beauty is gone. That's all I'm saying." I felt a slight twinge of pain when I thought about Jacob and Carmen dating but I chose to ignore it. "You know what they say?"

I sighed, "No, Liz. What do they say?"

Liz grinned, "That the best way to get over a man is to get under another one."

I blushed furiously, "Liz, just shut it." I went back to scrubbing the pattern off the plate in my hand.

The ringing of my cell phone saved me from any further harassment. I dried my hands on a dishrag then answered, "Hello?"

"Hi, Bella." Alice's chipper voice rang in my ear.

"Hey, Alice. What's up?" I asked cautiously. I'd begged the Cullens to not send me any gifts for Christmas and I was worried Alice was calling to tell me they decided not to listen.

"Oh, not much. I was just thinking about you. When do you think you'll be able to visit us? The family really misses you, Bella." I got the feeling there was something Alice wasn't telling me.

I was a little worried. "Alice, is everything okay? You sound a little off."

She brushed off my concern. "I'm fine. So when do you think you'll be able to come up?" She pressed again.

"Alice, what's going on? Why are you so intent on me coming to Alaska?" I didn't have any immediate plans to visit the Cullens. I meant to see them eventually but I thought the distance might make things easier on Edward.

She sighed, "I was hoping you would agree to come without me having to tell you."

I sat at the table and Liz turned away from the sink eying me curiously. "What is it?" I asked slowly.

"It's Edward, Bella. He's making plans to come see you. I tried to talk him out of it but… I think it's better if you come here instead." Alice seemed to be choosing her words carefully.

I wanted to know if she'd had a vision but Liz was still in the room. "Have you_ seen_ something, Alice?"

"I saw him come to your apartment… He finds out about your attack and freaks out. By the way, you're in deep trouble with the family. How could you not tell us about what almost happened to you?" She scolded.

I rubbed my hand over my face. "I'd rather not discuss this right now, Alice."

"Fine but we are going to talk about this when you get here."

I didn't really have much of a choice. If I didn't want Edward to show up in Hanover then I would have to go to him. I grumbled, "Fine."

"Oh, and bring your friends too. We'd love to meet them." Alice's voice was back to its usual cheerful tone.

I hesitated. "Okay… I'll ask."

"Don't worry. They'll accept." Her words dripped with confidence.

"Alice, stop looking." I admonished her.

"Okay, okay. I'll stop. See you soon. Bye." Her childlike voice giggled.

"Bye."

My body felt exhausted as I put the phone down on the table and sighed.

Liz's stare was inquisitive. "What was Alice looking at?"

"Oh, it's not important." I changed the subject. "I'm planning to visit the Cullens in Alaska and they've invited you guys to come along with me. So, what do you say?"

Before Liz could answer, the boys came into the kitchen. "Say to what?" Ryan made a beeline for the fridge. He took out a bottle of soda and chugged half down in one gulp.

Liz grabbed the chair next to me and sat down. "Izzy's leaving to visit the Cullens and we're invited to tag along."

"Hmm… sounds like fun. Count me in." Zach said.

Ryan grinned. "Yeah. We'll finally get to meet this Edward guy. Looking forward to it."

"Yes, this should be interesting." Taylor smirked and I was suddenly hit with a sense of foreboding. I hoped our visit to a house full of vampires would be anything but interesting.

* * *

**A/N:** I can almost hear **TeamSeth7890** screaming with excitement.A visit to the Cullens is coming up next.

I know some of you have questions about Taylor and I can assure you it's not what most of you are thinking.

I mean it's nothing wolfy but that's all I'll say on the matter.

Reviews make me update quicker so you know what to do. Review!


	22. Vibes

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 22

During the entire plane flight to Alaska, I was anxious about introducing the gang to the Cullens. I prayed everyone would get along but more importantly I hoped Edward would try to keep his over protectiveness under control. Assuming Alice's vision had already tipped him off about my attack, I knew he would be waiting to discuss it with me.

As our plane landed in the Anchorage Airport, Liz turned to me, "So are you nervous?"

I tried to put on a brave face while I fidgeted with my jacket. "Me nervous? What do I have to be nervous about?" I replied nonchalantly.

Liz wasn't buying my false bravado. "Because this is your first time seeing Edward since you guys broke up. Not to mention the fact that he's still in love with you."

I sighed in defeat. "I'm a little edgy about it. Yes." I didn't know why I even tried to hide my feelings from Liz. She always had the uncanny ability to know exactly what I was feeling. "But I'm sure it'll be fine."

Finally out of the plane, we able to stretch our legs as we strolled through the airport. As we collected our luggage at the baggage carousel, I scanned the terminal looking for Alice. She was supposed to be our ride to the Cullen house. I was surprised she'd managed to convince Edward to wait at home for my arrival but somehow she did.

Through the crowd, I spotted Alice running toward me. For appearances sake, she managed to keep her steps as slow as possible. Even though I knew she secretly wanted to tackle me to the ground. Gracefully maneuvering herself between the crowds of people that separated us, she grabbed me in a tight hug.

"Bella!" Her musical voice tinkled in my ear. "I missed you so much!"

Blinking back the tears of happiness, I hugged her, "It's so good to see you, Alice. I missed you too." I didn't realize just how much I'd missed her.

Suddenly, Zach's voice broke into our little reunion and I was reminded of the people observing us. "Well, well. I sure would like to meet your friend there, Izzy."

Laughing at Zach flirting, I pulled away and Alice smiled at him. "Let me guess. This must be Zach." She extended her hand.

"And you must be the gorgeous Alice. Nice to meet you." Shaking her hand he shot her his signature mega watt smile.

I rolled my eyes at his shameless flirting. "Hey, back off. She's married."

Alice laughed as Zach's smile dimmed. Poor guy. I turned to introduce the others. "This is Liz and Ryan."

Ryan offered Alice a small smile and waved hello while Alice and Liz stared at each other. Green eyes met amber eyes as they seemed to be sizing each other up.

However, the tense moment was broken when they both smiled. I released a breath I didn't know I was holding in when Alice gushed, "Oh my God. I love your cashmere sweater. Cream and brown are great colors on you."

Liz smoothed down her sweater and smiled, "I know, right? But your boots are to die for. Where did you get them?" Then they both rattled on about fashion until Alice gestured to me in my skinny jeans and red cashmere sweater.

I blushed when I heard Alice say, "I suppose I have you to thank for Bella's newfound fashion sense. How on earth did you manage to pull that off?"

Liz rolled her eyes and grinned. "At times, I had to wrestle her into a few outfits."

Alice giggled evilly, "If I'd only known it was that simple, I would have tried that years ago."

I smiled nervously at the duo, then I remembered I still hadn't introduced one other person. I turned to Taylor and was surprised to see him looking at me with a small smile on his lips. Biting my lip with embarrassment, I introduced him, "And this is Taylor."

Alice marched over to stand directly in front of him. As she peered up at Taylor, he stared back with amusement dancing in his eyes. Apparently satisfied with whatever, she saw she beamed. "It's nice to meet you, Taylor."

He shook her hand and smiled, "Likewise."

Clapping her hands together, Alice chirped, "Okay. Let's get you guys to the house before nightfall."

And with that we were off. As we walked through the airport's exit doors, I shivered slightly as a cold breeze blew. I couldn't wait to get to the house to warm up a bit. Alice led us over to a silver Lexus a few cars down. The color immediately made me think of Edward's Volvo and I turned to her, "Let me guess. Edward's car, right?"

She chuckled, "You know him so well, Bella."

We climbed into the car and Alice drove us to the house all the while chattering excitedly about what she had planned for us. The guys groaned as Alice and Liz talked about the latest fashion trends and shopping. I was happy they'd hit it off. Maybe Liz would even be able to keep Alice from going 'Bella Barbie' on me.

As the car neared the Cullen mansion, I heard Liz whistle in appreciation. Even I had to admit the house was beautiful. This mansion wasn't like their previous home, with its glass walls and modern architecture. The nineteenth century mansion was situated on a hill and set against a snow covered, mountain backdrop.

I looked toward the sky as we alighted from the car. The sun was just about to set as light snow dusted us all. As Alice led us through the entrance foyer and into the living room, I admired their antiquarian furniture and thick, rich carpet covered floors. The environment felt warm and inviting.

Upon my arrival in the living room, I was warped in Emmett's trademark bear hug.

"Bella! I've missed you!"

Laughing as he spun me around, I hugged him back. "I missed you too, Emmett."

He set me down and I saw Rosalie standing next to him, looking stunning as usual. "It's good to see you, Bella." She surprised me, as I was given a brief hug. It was the warmest greeting I'd ever received from her and it was a bit overwhelming.

As I pulled away from her smiling, I was washed in Jasper's calming power. He approached as Rosalie stepped away. "Nice to see you're in one piece, Bella." Jasper drawled, casually throwing an arm around my shoulder.

Knowing he was referring to my incident, I winced. I would have a lot of explaining to do. "Thanks, Jasper."

Carlisle and Esme were the next to approach me. Esme smiled warmly, eyes full of love and understanding as she hugged me. "You look so radiant and happy, Bella." Blushing, I mumbled my thanks.

Carlisle smiled and opened up his arms, welcoming me into his embrace. "We're all so pleased you decided to visit, Bella." I ducked my head feeling a little ashamed that I'd neglected to come earlier. Like a child to a parent, I walked into his arms and hugged him. Being with the Cullens again was almost enough to make me regret my decision to stay human. _Almost._

As my eyes scanned the room for Edward's presence, Alice decided to use that moment to introduce the gang to the Cullens. I found him standing by the fire place observing me intently.

With my heart hammering away in my chest, I wondered how I could feel so many emotions at once. The feelings of love, sadness and longing fought with each other. Instinctively, I closed the distance between us until I stood three feet away from him. His topaz eyes bore into me with such intensity, making me feel like I was the most important thing in his world. At that moment I realized just how much I'd missed that feeling.

His name fell from my lips. "Edward." Nothing about him had changed. He had the same bronze hair and broody expression. Edward was just as beautiful as I remembered.

"Bella…" He reverently whispered my name and all the irritation I'd previously felt about being forced to come to him, melted away.

My skin tingled as he gathered me in his cold hard embrace and I couldn't help but cling to him. After all this time, I still loved Edward Cullen. But now I was wise enough to know that, like my love for Jacob, it just wasn't meant to be.

He inhaled my scent and mumbled, "It's been much too long, Bella. I've missed you so." His arms gathered me closer to him, holding me as tightly as he dared. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to sink further into his grasp.

"I missed you too, Edward." As I pulled away to look up at his face, his hands slid from my back and came to rest on my arms. Smiling my favorite crooked smile, his eyes shone with nothing but pure adoration. With my hands pressed to his chest, I beamed back at him.

Suddenly, he smile faded and he frowned. His eyes snapped to look at something over my shoulder and I swiveled my head to see what it was. I felt surprised and a little embarrassed to see that my reunion with Edward was being watched by everyone. The Cullens observed us with small smiles on their faces but the countenances of the gang bothered me the most.

Ryan and Zach looked concerned and Liz looked as though she was trying to figure out just how over Edward I truly was. Taylor's green eyes blazed as he unflinchingly met Edward's gaze. As I turned my attention back to Edward, his grip tightened painfully on my arm and he met my eyes with questions in his own.

I winced as another pain shot through my arm. Knowing he would still be able to hear me, I whispered, "Edward… please… my arm."

Edward's eyes were immediately filled with remorse as he released me from his grip. Emmett saved us from any awkwardness that surely would have followed, as he slung an arm around my shoulder. "Hey, Edward, quit hogging Bella. She's here to see us all, not just you." His booming voice joked.

I smiled gratefully at him, knowing his attempt to lighten the mood was for the benefit of my friends. A glance at Edward confirmed that he and Taylor were still staring at each other. I wondered what he'd read in Taylor's mind to make him react like he did and I made a mental note to ask him about it as soon as we had some time alone.

Carlisle smiled faintly, "Alice will show you all to your rooms now. Go ahead and freshen up. Dinner will be ready shortly."

I followed behind as Alice led everyone out of the living room. As we made our way up the winding staircase, Liz fell into step with me and whispered, "Do you want to tell me what that was about?"

Knowing full well that Alice would hear whatever I said, I replied, "Later." Liz nodded and left it at that.

Having showed me to my room, Alice left to show the others theirs a few doors down. Dragging my luggage into my room, I had to pause for a moment to take in the winsomeness of the room. The room contained a king sized four-poster bed with a fluffy duvet, matching oak night tables on each side of the bed, a large antique wardrobe, an oak dresser and an elegant chaise lounge. Embodying the allure and charm of an era long passed, the room was beautiful.

Just as I'd finished packing away my clothes, Liz burst through my door. Rolling my eyes, I quipped, "Thanks for knocking, Liz."

Liz placed a hand on her hip and stared me down, "Don't get smart with me, Izzy. It's later and I want to know what the hell that was about. You two looked like you are still very much in love."

I sighed in defeat and shuffled my way over to the bed. I knew Edward and my reaction to one another would look awfully strange to someone who didn't know us. It must have raised a lot of questions the minds of my friends. Sitting down on the bed, I gestured for Liz to join me. "Liz, there are a few things I should explain to you. I know we looked a little friendly but-."

Liz cut me off with an incredulous look. "A little friendly? The way you touched each other… the way he looked at you… Tell me the truth, Izzy. Do you still love him?"

My answer was automatic, "Yes, Liz, I do love him." It was no use trying to deny how I felt. But I felt the need to clarify things a bit. "Liz, Edward was my first love and things have always been more than a little intense between us. Just because I called off our engagement doesn't mean the feelings are gone. The way we were, Liz, we literally could not live without each other. It all just became too much." I never wanted to feel that way about someone again. Feeling like I would kill myself if they ever left me. I would never give someone that kind of power over me again.

Liz nodded her head in understanding. "I get it now. First love can be really powerful." She paused for a moment then continued. "I have to say, Izzy. You have excellent taste in men. First Jacob, in all his chiseled Native American glory and now Edward. My God. What a gorgeous male specimen he is. As a matter of fact, all the Cullens are beautiful." She purred in appreciation.

I giggled, "Yeah, they are." I was used to their perfection but Liz was only just beginning to wrap her mind around it.

Liz flopped back on the bed and dragged me down till I lay next to her. "This house is incredible. Like something out of a fairytale."

I sighed, "It's all so perfect." _Too perfect._ Suddenly my mind went to the uncomfortable moment between Edward and Taylor. I wanted to know what Liz thought of it. "That was kind of… odd. The way Edward and Taylor looked at each other."

Liz frowned and bit her lip as she thought about it. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I got a weird vibe from them." I rolled my eyes when she said that. Liz really believed in her_ vibes_ and her ability to read people. But I called it woman's intuition. "Maybe they don't like each other." I hoped that wasn't true. I couldn't explain why but their getting along was important to me.

* * *

Dinner was a loud and boisterous affair, with Emmett, Ryan and Zach joking with each other and talking animatedly. Esme glowed as everyone complimented her cooking skills. The Cullens were pros at pretending to eat but every once in a while Zach would frown and his hazel colored eyes would lose focus. It was almost as if he was trying to recollect something.

Another perplexing thing was Liz and Jasper's reaction to each other. Occasionally, scowls would cross their faces and they would lean away from one another. Then Alice would shoot anxious looks at Edward and he would nod his head slightly. To be honest, it made me a little uneasy.

After dinner, the gang and I were beginning to feel the effects of jetlag. So they decided to head to bed early while I hung back to speak with the family.

Carlisle decided to delve right in to the night of my attack after we'd all taken seats in the living room. "Would you tell us what happened, Bella?" He asked gently.

And so I told them everything, about James, his attack on the other women and how I defended myself. I thought they would have been upset but to my surprise, they all held proud expressions on their faces. Especially Rosalie.

Alice took my hand in her cold ones. "I can't understand why you didn't tell us, Bella. We're your family. We would have been there for you." I knew she felt a little hurt that I didn't at least tell her.

"I know you would have, Alice. But I just felt like I needed to take care of myself for once. And to tell you the truth, I thought you might freak out if I'd told you about what almost happened."

Alice smiled at that and I knew she understood that I meant _Edward_ would freak out.

"So he's in jail now, right? The man that attack you." Edward asked with barely concealed malice in his voice. His features were twisted in anger.

I nodded yes. Edward looked like he wanted to do bodily harm to James. I knew he was trying really hard to be supportive so I was thankful to him. Alice was right to insist on my coming to Alaska instead of letting Edward come to me. With his family around him, he handled the news of my skirmish better. I was very impressed with him. Not once did he insist I move to Alaska where he could protect me better. I suspected that I had Alice to thank for that.

"Too bad you didn't kill him, Bella. Scum like that doesn't deserve to live." Rosalie sneered and Emmett wrapped his arms around her. I remembered what Rosalie had told me about how she'd been raped and how she took revenge after her change. I didn't think Rosalie would ever fully get over what happened to her. And once again, I was grateful I wouldn't have to bear those same scars.

"All we want is to make sure you're safe. We just want you to know you can always come to us, Bella. But we're very proud of the way you protected yourself." Carlisle smiled proudly from his position next to Esme. Relief flooded my body and I sighed inwardly.

"So you're like a female Jackie Chan now." Emmett poked fun at me and I rolled my eyes.

"You know, Emmett. I should thank you. It was the taser you brought that saved me." I wanted him to know that his taser was the final nail in James' coffin.

I didn't think Emmett's smile could get any wider but it did. "See. My gift came in handy after all. And you all laughed when I brought the taser and pepper spray. Ha! Well, who's laughing now, huh?" Emmett chortled and we all laughed right along with him.

Alice saw me stifle a yawn and said, "I think we should let Bella get some sleep now." She turned to me. "You're going to need it because Rosalie and I are taking you and Liz shopping tomorrow. Yay!" Alice cheered excitedly and I couldn't help but groan which inspired another round of laughter from the group.

Feeling like a hundred year old lady, I said my goodnights to the family then went up to my room. There, I changed into my shorts and matching vest then I sank into the incredibly soft mattress and drifted off to sleep.

I didn't know I would be receiving a visitor later that night. If I had, I probably would have covered up more.

* * *

**A/N: **Coming up next, Bella has a late night visitor and learns some secrets about concerning those close to her.

Also, Edward does something to upset her.

Who do you think her visitor will be?

If you want your chapter before next week, you know what to do.**Review!**


	23. What have you done?

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 23

I stirred awake lazily after having a great night's rest. I contemplated going back to sleep as the sun hadn't risen yet. Raising my head off the pillow, the clock confirmed this, as it was about six thirty. I rolled onto my back and froze.

Edward was in my room, sitting on the chaise lounge by the window looking at me. It startled me and I was also a little creeped out. _How long had he been here watching me?_ I sat up warily, "Edward. What are you doing here?"

"I hope you don't mind but I couldn't resist watching you sleep."

Annoyance prickled along my skin. I did mind. When Edward did things like this, it made things even more confusing between us. A part of me wanted to tell him to get the hell out of my room but the other part of me. The part that still loved him and had no desire to hurt him won out and I said, "It's okay, Edward."

Going back to sleep was now out of the question, so I decided to get up. As I stood up, I saw Edward gazing at my exposed legs. His golden eyes burned with hunger. Whether it was the man or the vampire in him that wanted me, I didn't know. Not wanting to find out, I grabbed the robe off the chair next to my bed and slipped into it.

I made my way to the lounge and sat beside him. We were silent for a few moments as we gazed at the snowflakes falling outside. I didn't know what to say and I was sure Edward was experiencing the same difficulty.

Edward's smooth voice broke through the peace and tranquility. "This is what I wanted for you, you know?"

I shifted my eyes from the wintry scene to look at him. "What?"

"I wanted you to experience life and everything it had to offer. Even though we aren't…" His voice cracked, telling me just how difficult it was for him. "I never wanted to take your life away." He pulled me closer, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

I felt like this was my opportunity to say all the things I hadn't been able to the last time we were alone together. "I don't think I ever really thanked you, Edward."

"Thanked me for what?"

My hand found his. "For letting me grow up." I laid my head on his shoulder. "Thank you for letting me live. I know I didn't make it easy on you, at times." He chuckled and we both knew I was referring to all my ill-conceived attempts to seduce him in the past. If Edward wasn't the strong man that he was, I wouldn't be human right now.

"I'm still hoping you'll change your mind, you know."

My mind wandered back to his birthday note. I pulled away slightly. "I know, Edward. But you have to know, I won't change my mind, Edward. We might look like we belong together now but what about the future? When I'm forty and we look like mother and son. I can't do it, Edward." My tone was soft, to help lessen the blow. "I've changed, Edward. I'm not the same girl that I was a year ago. We just don't belong together anymore." The grief on his face broke my heart but I had to tell him the truth. It hurt to say the words out loud.

"I can see how much you've changed in the minds of your friends." A wan smile flittered across his face. "Would you like to know what I saw?"

I was torn between wanting to know but not wanting to pry. Gnawing my lip, I tried to decide. In the end, curiosity won out and I asked, "What did you see?"

"Well, Ryan is very protective of you. He sees you as his little sister and makes it his business to look out for you." He turned to me with a frown. "Especially where Dillon Buchanon is concerned. He doesn't think Dillon has the purest intentions toward you." I rolled my eyes. One more member to join the, _I hate Dillon Club_.

"Zach's feelings toward you can be brotherly at times but he does have some not so brotherly thoughts about you in that blue playboy bunny outfit." Edward smirked and I couldn't help the blush that crept up my cheeks. I knew that that was a side of me Edward had never seen before and I was more than a little embarrassed.

Noticing my blush, Edward laughed softly, "Don't worry, Bella. It was nice to see you enjoying yourself. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. That outfit though…" Turning back his eyes back toward the window, he continued, "Zach senses something is a little off with us. We make him uneasy for the most part and he doesn't understand why."

I tried to remember something Ryan told me once about where he came from but I couldn't. Looking out the window, the sun was rising. Edward's beautiful skin glittered when touched by the sun's rays. My hand itched to touch his face but I gripped my knees instead.

I noticed he hadn't said anything about twins. "What about Liz and Taylor?"

Edward chuckled darkly and shook his head. "Those two are very interesting. You're very important to Liz. She had a very lonely childhood and didn't have any close female friends. She feels very connected to you." That made me smile.

"Taylor…" Edward was frowning again. "His feelings are a bit more complicated. He feels very strongly toward you. I'm not sure of the depth of his feelings… I'm not even sure he knows how far they go." I didn't know what he meant by that. _Feelings? What kind of feelings?_

"What do you mean? How can you not be sure? I thought you were able to read everyone's mind clearly… except mine."

Edward studied my face for a long moment then continued. "His mind is like nothing I've ever seen before, Bella. It's like an onion, there are lots of layers and it's difficult to get an accurate reading of his thoughts at times." He paused again to let that information sink in. "The twins are not ordinary, Bella."

Startled, I turned to look at him. Edward's expression was one of worry. "What do you mean they're not ordinary?"

"I mean they're kind of like you. The way you're immune to my mind reading ability. They're unique like the way Alice was before she was changed. They're not ordinary human beings, Bella." Edward explained and closed his eyes. I wondered if he was listening to someone else's thoughts. Not for the first time I was grateful that he couldn't read mine.

I wanted to find out more but it suddenly felt wrong to steal their secrets when I could never share my own. Feelings of protectiveness, especially toward Taylor, took me by surprise. He was always one to keep his thoughts to himself and I didn't like the idea of Edward traipsing around in his mind.

I decided to stop Edward before he gave up all their secrets. "I don't need to know what they are, Edward. Just answer me this. Are they dangerous?" Sure, Liz and Taylor were my friends. But I had to know if they were a danger to the people around them.

"Liz is not. But Taylor… he's a very dangerous man. This _thing_ that makes them different is stronger in the men on his mother's side. If he loses control he can inflict a lot of damage and possibly kill." I remembered Liz's words in the kitchen; _he's in control, right, Taylor?_ It made me shudder. This was a lot to absorb. My best friends weren't normal. Leave it to me to go out into the world only to find people with _abilities_.

Wait a minute. Why wasn't Edward freaking out? I stared at him incredulously. Even though Edward was concerned, he wasn't overreacting and telling me Taylor was too dangerous to be around. "How come you didn't flip out as soon as you found this out? I remember when you found out about the wolves. You forbade me from seeing them."

He looked at me sternly and I caught a glimpse of the over protective Edward. "Do not mistake me, Bella. I'm not at all comfortable with your living with those people but I know that short of physically restraining you, there's not much that I can do to keep you from them." He sighed wearily and raked his hand through his hair. "Taylor's control is exceptional. He's never slipped and never caused harm to anyone, unlike Sam Uley."

It was my turn to sigh. I knew no matter what I said in defense of the wolves, it would never change his opinion of them. In the meantime, I would wait until Liz and Taylor were ready to tell me their secrets. Until that day, I refused to violate their privacy.

Trying to reassure Edward, I gently rubbed his hand. "Don't worry about me, Edward. I'll be fine."

Edward sighed, his gaze was tender. "Don't you know I'll always worry about you, Bella?" He grasped both my hands in his freezing ones and I shivered slightly. I'd gotten used to normal skin temperatures, so his touch chilled me. "When I think about what almost happened to you…" Edward whispered faintly.

"But I'm fine now. I need you to believe that I can take care of myself and I don't need anyone to be my hero." I wanted to make it clear to him that I didn't need him tracking me down every time he thought I was in danger. "I need you to let me live my life, Edward, whichever way I see fit."

He looked crushed but after a few moments he muttered, "I understand, Bella. I'll try not to meddle unnecessarily in your affairs. But know this; I will always be there for you whenever you need me." His eyes hardened with determination and he gently squeezed my hands.

"Thank you, Edward." I murmured softly. Turning back toward to window, I saw the sun was blocked off by the clouds. It would be another snowy, overcast day in Anchorage. Suddenly, I remembered Alice's plans to take us shopping today.

I couldn't help the groan that escaped my lips. Edward frowned, "What's wrong?"

"I just remembered Alice is taking me shopping today." I pouted and Edward chuckled. He paused listening to something in the distance.

Rising from the lounge, he said, "Well, I think I'll leave now and let you get ready for breakfast. I can hear Esme preparing it now. Would you walk me out?" I shook my head slightly. _Edward and his gentlemanly manners._

"Sure." I stood up and followed him to my door where he opened it.

He took one of my hands in his and pulled me into the hallway. As he pulled me to him, he wrapped an arm around me and used his cold fingertips to tilt my face upwards.

"You know I love you, right?" He smiled down at me.

"I love you too, Edward." I began to feel uncomfortable as our positions were a little too intimate. As I tried to pull away, Edward's hold on me tightened slightly. Looking up, I gave him a questioning gaze. That turned out to be my undoing. Edward was lowering his face to mine. His eyes rendered me transfixed and I couldn't pull away. Edward was deliberately dazzling me.

"Edward… stop…" I whispered. My mind was rapidly turning to mush.

As he pressed his cold, hard lips to mine, my body betrayed me and I kissed him back. My mind screamed. _What are you doing!_ As he tried to deepen the kiss, I stiffened. It suddenly felt wrong. It was wrong. Edward and I were over. All the times in the past when I'd tried to push for more, he would pull away. Why was he pushing now? I couldn't act like this with him anymore.

I pressed my palms to his unyielding chest and he allowed me to push him away. My lips tingled as I stared at his face but Edward wasn't looking at me. His eyes were focused on something behind me. He wore a small, triumphant smirk on his face and my heart sank in dismay.

_Oh Edward, what have you done?_

* * *

**A/N:** Coming up next Bella has it out with Edward and she also sees something strange after a nerve-racking moment.

Also one of Bella's friends has a shocking question for her.

The next chapter has already been written.

You know what to do if you want it before next week.** Review!**


	24. Kick him in the Nuts

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

In answer to your question **MissJacobPaul**

I have a few ideas about Bella's shield development for the future but nothing certain.

It will be a while before you have to worry about that though.

* * *

Chapter 24

"Big jerk," I muttered under my breath as I angrily sifted through a rack of designer jeans. Alice and Rosalie smirked wickedly at each other and Liz shot me a worried glance.

We were in a downtown shopping boutique. Emmett, Jasper and a sulking Edward decided to take the guys skiing at the Anchorage Ski Club. It seemed like Taylor and Ryan would get to do their skiing after all. But I didn't think they would have much luck getting Zach on the slopes. He'd said as much when they dragged him into the car.

I was still more than a little pissed off after my big blowout with Edward that morning. I couldn't believe the nerve of him.

Rosalie grinned, "It about time you put Edward in his place. He's been taking way too many liberties with you." She picked up a black dress and held it to her body as she checked it out in the mirror.

Alice blew out a puff of air and rolled her eyes at Rosalie. "Usually, I'm on Edward's side but he really went too far this morning."

"You really tore him a new one, didn't you?" Liz's green eyes twinkled with pride as she raised an eyebrow. "So what did you say to him?" Alice, Rosalie and every other vampire at the house heard our argument but I had yet to explain to Liz and the guys.

_(Flashback)_

_Oh Edward. What have you done?_

_I didn't want to turn around because if I did, I knew that my fantasy-like belief in Edward would be gone. The belief that he would never use me like that to get to someone I cared about. I didn't want to believe that Edward was capable of something like that._

_Slowly, I turned around to see my deepest fears were confirmed. My friends were all standing a short distance behind us. They'd seen everything. I could only imagine how it all looked to them. Here I was in my bathrobe, kissing my ex-boyfriend in front of my bedroom door at the crack of dawn. It looked like he spent the night in my room. Well… he did but not like that._

_Liz looked plain old bewildered, Ryan looked suspicious, Zach looked a little embarrassed and Taylor… well he looked a little hurt but mostly angry. Not being able to maintain his intense gaze as they bore into me, I shifted my eyes to the ground. Using my hair as a shield, I cursed my bad luck. What were the odds that just as Edward was leaving my room, the gang would be coming down the hall?_

_I suddenly realized that this was no accident. It was a damned set up, constructed by none other than my territorial ex fiancé, Edward Cullen. That's why he asked me to walk him out. He knew they would be there when he decided to put on his show. With a pain in my heart, I realized that Edward felt threatened by Taylor and decided to prove that I was still his. He used me and my feelings for him to stake his claim._

_A soft noise broke the silence. It almost sounded like glass breaking. Raising my head to look at my friends, I saw that something was different with Liz and Taylor. Taylor's eyes were closed in concentration and his hands were balled tightly in a fist as he fought to control his breathing. Zach didn't notice when Ryan discretely alerted Liz to what was happening with Taylor. She stealthily moved to his side and gripped his hand. At her touch, he calmed down. As his breathing returned to normal, his eyes snapped open and rage burned in them as he stared at Edward. _

_A soft, menacing growl rumbled in Edward's chest and I turned back to him. "Edward, stop it." I whispered. What the hell was he trying to do, provoke Taylor?_

_The situation was beginning to turn dangerous. Edward's stupid ploy threatened to start a fight between him and Taylor. I racked my brain, trying to think of a way to stop that from happening. My friends could get hurt. Whatever ability Taylor might have had, I was sure he was still human and could die._

_Miraculously, Alice appeared out of nowhere and intervened. "I was just coming to wake you guys up. Breakfast is ready." She chirped in cheerful voice that Edward and I alone knew was false. "Come along now. Esme's outdone herself this time." She then proceeded to usher them down the hallway leaving Edward and I alone but not before throwing an angry glare at him._

_I could hardly bare to look at him. With a toneless voice, I said, "Get inside, Edward." I pointed to my room._

_The look of triumph was gone from his face and in its place, concern. "Bella… I…"_

_I cut him off. Letting some of the anger I felt surface in my voice, I snarled, "Just get inside, Edward. I'm going to be doing a lot of yelling and I don't want everyone in this house to hear." There was no hope of keeping our upcoming fight from the Cullens but I didn't want to risk my friends hearing us._

_With slumped shoulders, he went back inside. I followed him and slammed the door behind me. Finally inside, I allowed the tears of rage and shame to show on my face. Edward was still trying to feign innocence as he kept his marble face void of emotion._

"_How dare you use me like that?" I spat venomously and my body shook with barely contained fury._

_Edward looked like he was at a loss for words as he stared at me in shock. I don't think he'd ever seen me so angry before. And especially never at him. _

"_You have no right to maul me like that in front of my friends just because you feel insecure!" I screamed._

_Edward began to pace back and forth in frustration. "You don't understand how he feels about you." I didn't have to ask who _he_ was._

_I stared at him incredulously. The first words out of his mouth should have been an apology. "That's all you have to say in your defense? You took away my will and forced yourself on me because you think Taylor has some ridiculous little crush on me?" My voice rose with every word._

_Edward quit his pacing as his eyes darkened with anger. "It's not some little crush. You are the center of his thoughts. I don't know how to explain it. The only thing I've seen similar to it is imprinting." I shuddered with hatred when he said the word imprinting. He couldn't begin to fathom how much I despised that word. "I think if I spent more time around him, I should be able to decipher his thoughts…" He trailed off absentmindedly._

_Indignant anger prickled my skin and I hissed at him, "Damn it, Edward! I want you to stay out of his mind. You have to respect his privacy."_

_Edward stiffened. "It's not like I have a switch to turn it on and off, Bella. I can't help it."_

_I wasn't going to let him pull that 'no control' crap on me. "I know you can't, Edward. But I know damn well you're able to tune out thoughts you don't want to hear."_

_He stared at me somberly and I realized that I hadn't been doing Edward any favors by going easy on him. I allowed him to get away with things like the touching and sneaking into my room at night. Now because of it, he thought we still had a chance. I had to shoot every possibility of us down and to do that I would have to tell him everything._

_Taking a deep breath, I knew this had to be done. "Edward, I wasn't completely honest with you about why we broke up. There's something I didn't tell you."_

_Confusion flashed across his face. "What do you mean?"_

"_It's true that I didn't want to give up my life for you. But I didn't tell you that I'd also realized that I had feelings for Jacob Black. I slept with him, Edward. He wasn't just my friend… I was in love with him too." I glanced down at my hands._

_Hurt blanketed his features as he processed this information. "What do you mean 'was'?" He clenched his jaw and fired off questions. "Why aren't you with him now? What did the dog do?"_

_Trying to defuse the situation, I spoke quickly. "He didn't do anything. He… imprinted." I paused feeling the stirrings of pain in my chest. "It's okay. I wasn't there to see it happen. I'd already left for school by then." It wasn't okay but I was managing. "I need you to give up on us, Edward. It's over between us and I won't change my mind. You have to promise me that what just happened will never happen again. If you can't promise, then our friendship is over." More tears came to my eyes. I didn't want to cut him off but if he couldn't stop, then I would do it._

_Edward's face was somber as he said with conviction, "I'm truly sorry I upset you like that, Bella. I wasn't thinking clearly." He closed the distance between us. "I don't ever want to lose your friendship. I apologize."_

_I pulled away as he tried to take my hands in his. I squared my shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "You really crossed the line with me, Edward. You'll have to earn back my trust." The days of people taking advantage of my forgiving nature were over._

"_I understand, Bella." I heard the resignation in his voice as he left the room with slumped shoulders._

_Moments later, after having taken a bath and changed, I joined my friends for an awkward and uncomfortable breakfast. But as I was walking down the hallway, I observed that several of the framed photos of the family had large cracks in them._

_A cold chill ran up my spine as I wondered if Taylor had been the cause of them._

_(End Flashback)_

I explained everything to Liz (minus the mind reading and his perception of Taylor feelings for me). I didn't know what to make of it. Edward told me that he couldn't be sure of Taylor's exact feelings because of the complexity of his brain. So, in the end, I really had no way of knowing if what he'd told me was correct. I hoped Taylor's feelings weren't like imprinting at all. _Obsessive love confused with destiny_.

I already had obsessive love thank you very much. Case in point, Edward. I suppose I might have been a little jealous that I hadn't been imprinted on but I wasn't a werewolf. So I didn't have to like it. I preferred to choose who I loved for myself. Not be brainwashed by magic.

"What a jerk!" Liz snapped. "Do you want me to kick him in the nuts when we get back home?" She was actually serious.

I couldn't help the giggle that escaped when I pictured Liz breaking her foot on Edward's nuts. I mean… my God. My giggle turned into outright laughter and Alice and Rosalie joined me. At least they got it. Liz stared at us as if we were insane.

Rosalie was the first to regain control of herself. "I like this one, Bella. Can we keep her?" She slinked an arm around Liz's waist and grinned. I stared at the two women as they stood side by side. With their waves of rich, blonde and brunette hair, they were both stunning in their own right. Not to mention that they were both incredibly strong women having survived the things they did. I sidled up to Liz's side and wrapped an arm around her waist and replied, "Get your own."

Later, as we were lugging our many purchases back to the car, Alice said softly, "I told you that Liz would be good for you." I smiled enigmatically at her in reply. I guess Alice was right after all.

* * *

"Dude, where's your game?" Ryan pounded the keys on his controller.

"I'm gonna kick your ass, sucka." Emmett threatened. They were playing Madden on Jasper's Playstation. I assumed _someone_ was winning.

"Man, I am the football king. Right, Zach?" Ryan slipped a quick peek at Zach then turned his attention back to the game.

Zach distractedly mumbled, "Yeah, you are." I was beginning to worry about him. Ever since the guys came back from skiing, Zach seemed increasingly withdrawn. He was always off somewhere inside his mind. He wasn't being his usual flirtatious, ridiculous self. I found it peculiar. Even weirder was the glances Edward would give him on occasion.

We were sitting in the living room watching Ryan and Emmett play, when Alice jumped up, "Hey, does anyone want to do some ice-skating? There's a frozen pond in the back yard."

I wasn't too good on skates, so I intended to watch only. Everyone except Emmett, Ryan, Zach and Edward decided to join in. They were much more interested in their video games and I assumed Edward wanted to keep his distance from Taylor. I followed everyone else out back where Alice brought out some ice skates for us to choose from. Esme and Carlisle opted to sit in their porch swing and watch everyone have fun.

As I observed the others making their way onto the ice, Taylor turned to me, "You're not coming, Isabella?"

I shook my head. "I'm not that good with skates and I don't have a death wish. So, I'll sit this one out." I tried skating when I lived in Phoenix but it didn't turn out so well.

He held his hand out to me. "Come on, I'll teach you." I was a little surprised. We hadn't really said much to each other since the whole Edward thing. I noticed Liz, Rosalie and Alice were grinning like fools.

I was hesitant. "Well… I don't know…" Images of me smashing into someone or falling through thin ice assaulted my mind.

Alice piped up. "Aw, come on, Bella. It's fun. Right, Liz?"

"Right." Liz replied with an odd twinkle in her eyes.

"O-Okay…" I conceded. It seemed like no one was willing to let me sit this one out. I laced up the lavender skates with my name in sparkles on it. _Thank you, Alice. _

Gingerly, I made my way out to the ice where Taylor stood waiting for me. I spotted Alice and Jasper gliding gracefully on the other side of the pond. Wishing I could be that dexterous, I sighed inwardly. The only thing I inherited from my ballet lessons was my flexibility.

Placing my hands in Taylor's, I allowed him to pull me onto the ice. My knees were locked and my entire body was incredibly tense.

"Just trust the ice and try to relax." Taylor coached me and I nodded.

Willing myself to relax, I tried taking small steps. Suddenly, I panicked and leaned on my toe picks which caused me to trip. I closed my eyes, anticipating the fall that was sure to follow. Taylor propelled himself forward and wrapped his arms around me, preventing me from falling.

"It's all right. I have you." Still holding me close, he soothed me. "Are you okay?"

As I looked up at him to answer, my mind suddenly went blank. Taylor's face was about a couple of inches away from mine. I marveled at his thick black hair and piercing green eyes as they looked back at me. For a moment, longing along with an unidentifiable emotion flashed in his eyes and I blushed. He was too damn close.

Flustered I looked away and mumbled, "I'm good."

Releasing me, Taylor returned to his previous position still holding my hands in his.

"You ready?" Taylor inquired.

"Yes." I said firmly. Trying to bolster my confidence, I took a deep breath and forced myself to relax.

Clutching Taylor's hands in a death grip, I propelled myself forward on the slick ice with a series of strokes. We circled the pond with only few minor slips on my part.

"See. You're a natural." He smiled and squeezed my hand.

I grinned, growing more confident with each step. "I doubt I'll be doing any triple toe loops anytime soon."

Taylor moved behind me placing a hand on my waist while keeping a tight hold on my hand. "So… are you and Edward back together?"

His question startled me a little as I thought Liz had already explained everything to the guys. Liz was skating as close to us as possible, trying to listen in on our conversation. _The little snoop._ With their super hearing, Alice, Jasper and Rosalie didn't have to be close to hear us. Even though they were feigning disinterest, I knew they were listening to us.

"No, I'm not getting back together with Edward. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know, it just looked like it this morning." I winced remembering what he'd witnessed… what they all must have witnessed. "I mean the Cullens… this life… it all looks so perfect."

"It is perfect but I'm not." I sighed. No matter how much I wanted to belong to Edward and his world, I knew I never would.

The hand on my waist squeezed gently. "No one is."

Our touching moment was ruined when Liz hit me in the face with a snowball and a snowball fight broke out.

* * *

Two days later, I was in my room packing my things up. We were due to leave for the airport in fifteen minutes and I was looking forward to going back home. As much as I'd missed the Cullens, I was anxious to return to my life at school.

Over the course of our visit, Emmett and Ryan grew close. They were like two peas in a pod. They constantly teamed up to annoy the hell out of Rosalie and Liz. Alice looked to Liz as a fellow fashionista and tried to get her to gang up on me to play Bella Barbie. Liz was proud and Alice disappointed, when I put my foot down and ended her plans. I had quite enough of Alice pushing her will on me in the past and I wasn't going to put up with it anymore.

Liz really grew on Rosalie. She seemed almost carefree whenever Liz joked with her. Even cracked a few laughs here and there. It wasn't hard to understand why they'd hit it off. They'd both crafted tough exteriors to protect their vulnerabilities but they were big softies on the inside. I don't think I'd ever met a person that didn't like Liz. Liz really soaked up Esme's motherly attention. It was easy to see how much she'd missed having a mom when she was growing up.

Edward and Taylor were civil to each other but I didn't think the two men would ever be friends. Everyone did their best and made sure that the two men were never alone together. A few times I'd even caught them glaring at each other.

I'd even walked in on a tense conversation they were having. One day they'd managed to find themselves alone in the living room. I was coming down the stairs, on my way to the kitchen when I overheard them talking.

"She still loves me, you know." Edward's voice dripped with confidence.

"I'm aware of that but you should be man enough to admit that she doesn't want a life with you."

"Just what is she to you anyway? Do you even know?" Edward was trying to get Taylor to think about his feelings so he could listen in.

Taylor refused to be sidetracked. "My feelings are none of your business. I'm only going to say this once. You touch her like that again and you'll have to deal with me."

Edward laughed patronizingly. "And what will you do to me, Taylor?"

"Do not push me, Edward. I can guarantee you won't like what happens." Taylor's voice was low and menacing.

There was no trace of amusement in Edward's tone. His delivery was quiet and dangerous. "I'll ask you again. Just what is she to you?" The situation was quickly spiraling out of control. I ran down the stairs and into the living room to see Edward and Taylor almost nose to nose. Taylor's eyes blazed as he seethed with anger and Edward returned his look with a deadly glare of his own.

Suddenly Jasper and Emmett showed up, flanking Edward's side. Emmett placed a calm yet restraining hand on Edward's shoulder. "Hey, man. We've been looking for you everywhere. Carlisle wants to see you." Emmett tugged slightly but Edward refused to move.

I ran into the room and grabbed Taylor's arm. "Hey, why don't we go for a walk?" He shifted his gaze from Edward to me and his eyes softened slightly. I silently pleaded for him to listen to me.

"Okay." He conceded and allowed me to pull him from the room.

For the remainder of our visit, they ran Jasper ragged trying to keep them calm and Emmett teased me constantly about inciting riots. Emmett and Jasper stuck to Edward like glue for the entire visit. I think they were afraid that Edward would get jealous again and try to fight Taylor.

Zach, however, was a different situation. He grew increasingly solicitous and appeared to be exhausted all the time. I didn't think he was getting enough sleep. Every time we asked him what was wrong, he'd wave us off saying he was just feeling a little under the weather. We all knew it was a little more than that. Something was bothering him but he refused to talk about it.

As I was looking for the new _top of the line_ taser gun Emmett bought me, my bedroom door burst open, revealing a terrified Zach. His russet colored skin was a sickly color with a light sheen of sweat on his forehead.

His eyes were wild as they scan my room and he quickly closed the door.

I stood up straight. "Zach… Are you okay? You don't look so good."

Zach didn't answer me. Instead he roughly grabbed my arm and dragged me into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind us.

I was officially creeped out as I whirled around to face him. "Zach, what gives?"

His hazel eyes pinned me with an intense stare and he raked his hand through his hair. "I want you to tell me the truth, Izzy. Okay?"

"What's this about, Zach?"

I think my heart just about stopped when Zach asked, "The Cullens aren't human, are they?"

* * *

**A/N:**Has Zach figured out the Cullen's secret?

Coming up next Bella and Zach have a discussion. And it'll be flu season at the apartment.

You know what to do if you want your chapter early. **Review**!


	25. Outbreak Monkey

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

**You guys might want to read my author's note below.  
**

To **Chloe** my anonymous reviewer, I'm glad I've got you all addicted to my story.**  
**

* * *

Chapter 25

_I think my heart just about stopped when Zach asked, "The Cullens aren't human, are they?" _

A heavy silence descended as we stared at each other. This was the last thing I'd expected Zach to ask me and my mind was rapidly trying to figure out what to say.

I hedged, "What do you mean, are they human? That's crazy talk. Of course they are." Looking at him, I fiddled nervously with my hands.

"You're lying. You're a bad liar, Izzy. You always have been." Narrowing his eyes, he moved toward me.

"I'm not l-lying." I stuttered, taking an instinctive step back.

Zach began pacing the room, rambling to himself. "This is crazy. Stuff like this can't be real. I mean I grew up hearing the legends and never believed a word of them…" My eyes widened, as I listened to him. _Legends?_ "… the cold ones... it's nuts. It can't just be a coincidence."

Racking my brain, I tried to remember where Zach told me he came from. Suddenly it came to me. Zach was from the Makah Reservation! The same place Emily came from. They had their own legends of the cold ones. _Crap!_ How could I have forgotten something as important as that?

In the meantime, Zach was looking at me intently, "Izzy, I need you be honest with me because these past few days, I felt like I've been losing my mind. Are they… the Cullens… c-cold ones?" He whispered frantically.

I grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the toilet where I flushed it to drown out the sound of our voices. "I want you to tell me what you know and try to keep your voice down."

"I've always been a guy that relied on his instinct and these days my instincts have been telling me that the Cullens are dangerous. Which was crazy because they look so harmless." He said in a quiet voice.

I nodded encouragingly and flush the toilet again.

"I've also been noticing things around them. At dinner, it doesn't look like they eat the food on their plates. When we went skiing, I bumped into the thin one, Jasper, and almost broke my shoulder. I don't even think they sleep. No matter what time of night, there's always someone up. Not to mention that their skin is cold as ice and as pale as death. They're not normal, Izzy."

_(Flush)_

"What do you think cold ones are, Zach?" I inquired. I had to discover just how much he knew.

He took a deep breath, "Well, I know they don't age, they drink blood and I almost forgot… they're freaking _vampires!" _ Zach hissed hysterically.

I sighed in defeat. The goddamn cat was out of the bag.

_(Flush)_

For the sake of Zach's sanity, I decided to tell him the truth. "Zach, you're right. The Cullens are… vampires."

Zach was instantly suspicious. "So what is this, Izzy? Did you bring us home for dinner?" He accused harshly.

I shushed him. "Damn it, Zach, calm down. The Cullens are not like that. They drink the blood of animals." I tried reasoning with him. I could see the prejudice that had been bred into him. It wasn't his fault. He'd been raised to believe that all vampires were soulless monsters.

_(Flush)_

"I don't give a shit if they drink animal blood, Izzy. There's nothing stopping them from switching diets!"

"Zach, please believe me when I tell you, the moment they decide to slip and kill humans, I'll be the first to die because to them, I smell much better than you guys do. Okay?" I said trying to placate him.

Zach stared at me incredulously, "Okay? Are you out of your mind? For the past four days we've been sleeping in the house of the _undead _and you didn't tell us. They could have murdered us in our sleep at anytime-"

_(Flush) _

I interjected, "But they didn't, Zach. The Cullens are good people. None of them asked to be like this but they're just trying to live along humans in peace. I would never have brought you guys here if I thought you might be in danger."

"I can't believe you're okay with all of this. And Edward… he even kissed you. You made out with a corpse, Izzy." Zach shivered in disgust then his gaze turned leering. "Did you sleep with him? There's a word for people that sleep with corpses, Izzy." It was never a surprise whenever _Zach the lecher_ made his appearance but this was a new low.

Gasping with mortification, I smacked his arm, "That's none of your business and the answer is no. I never slept with him." Returning to the topic at hand, I shook my head. "But that's beside the point, Zach. I just want you to know that the Cullens are the same people you met from before, Zach."

"I just bet the others are going to freak out when I tell them."

He startled me again. I grabbed his arm. "Zach, this has to stay between us. You're not even supposed to know. You can't tell anyone else."

He pulled his arm away. "And why the hell not? They have a right to know what they've been hanging out with, Izzy."

If he only knew that Liz and Taylor were keeping secrets of their own, he really would lose his mind. "They can't know for the same reason I didn't tell you myself. It's not our secret to share, Zach. The Cullens have been nothing but nice to you. You can't tell anyone. We're bound to keep this a secret."

Shaking his head, Zach sighed in defeat, "Fine, I won't say anything, Izzy. But I can't stay here anymore. I know you think they're so great and everything but I can't be around them. I'm sorry."

I rubbed his arm as a sign of my acceptance. I knew it would take time for Zach to be able to come to terms with the Cullens. For me, finding out about the existence of vampires and werewolves had been a life altering experience. "I understand. It's a good thing we're leaving for the airport in a few minutes." I joked lamely.

Opening the bathroom door, Zach followed me back into my room.

"By the way, what's the deal with you flushing the toilet so many times? Did you have something in there that refused to go down or what?"

For a second, I debated whether or not I should tell him about the super hearing abilities of vampires. But then the implication behind his words hit me. _Eww!_ I blushed and turned around to smack him again only to catch him smiling at me. I then realized that that was his way of telling me things between us would be okay.

I heard a knock, and then Alice opened my door. I felt Zach stiffen next to me. "Hey, Bella, are you ready to leave? Everyone's downstairs waiting for you guys…" Her voice trailed off at the apprehension on Zach's face. She looked at us with concern. "Is everything okay?"

Assuming that Zach had no intention of speaking up, I replied, "Everything's fine, Alice. We were just coming down." I would tell her about Zach when we got home. I didn't think Zach could handle being in that house a moment longer.

Frowning slightly Alice said, "Okay, then." She left us alone.

"I'm all for getting the hell out of here. Come on, Izzy." I followed Zach to his room, where he collected his suitcases. As we walked down the hallway, I heard him muttering under his breath, "… living dead… Nosferatu… Dracula." The poor guy must've been so relieved to be going home today.

Just as Alice said, everyone was waiting for us in the living room. Under the watchful gazes of my friends I hugged each one of the Cullens goodbye. When I got to Edward, he took both my hands in his and raised them to his lips. Receiving a chill, I shivered slightly. After our confrontation, Edward had respected my wishes. Alice told me that he even been scolded by Carlisle and Esme for what he'd done. I could tell he was really trying his hardest to be on his best behavior.

He released my hands with furrowed brows and I wondered if he was listening to Taylor's thoughts again. But I was surprised when he shot a quick glance at Zach, who was standing as far away from the Cullens as he could get. I guess he knew that Zach figured out what they were. As Edward shifted his gaze back to me, I nodded slightly, trying to convey that their secret was still safe. He seemed to understand this as he hugged me once more. I wasn't worried about Zach keeping quiet. Even though, he had a reputation as a womanizer, Zach was the kind of guy to always keep his word.

Suitcases in hand, we walked out of the Cullen mansion and climbed into the car. We waved at the Cullens as Alice pulled out of the driveway and drove us to the airport. Before we boarded the plane, a melancholy Alice hugged me goodbye. I knew she hated that I lived so far away from them but was trying to put on a brave face.

I pulled Alice a safe distance away from my friends with a need to ask her something. "Alice, will I be happy… you know, in the future?"

Her eyes glossed over as she looked into the future. "I don't know, Bella. You haven't decided yet."

With one last wave, we board the plane and flew out of Alaska.

* * *

On the plane ride home Ryan was sneezing up a storm and by the time we'd gotten back to the apartment, he was running a fever. It was very apparent that he'd contracted the flu. And of course, Ryan, being the outbreak monkey that he was, infected Liz and me. So, three days before winter semester was due to begin, I had an awful cold.

It was the late afternoon, as I lay beneath my blankets cursing Ryan's existence. I heard a knock then my door opened to reveal Taylor. "I come bearing medication." He lifted his hand showing me a white paper bag.

I coughed then sniffled, "My savior."

Taylor brought me a glass of water to take my pills then I drank some cough syrup. Flopping back on my bed, I felt feverish yet chilly at the same time.

Taylor leaned over and fixed my blankets. "Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

My eyes were already closing down on me and I mumbled, "Okay." I fell into a fitful sleep.

I tossed and turned the entire night. Taylor had slept in the chair next to my bed and every time I'd opened my eyes he was there offering food and medication. Sweaty and disoriented, I awoke to Taylor gently shaking me. "Come on, Isabella. Time to get up. You have to eat something."

I groaned as he helped me sit up. "Taylor, I'm not hungry."

Taylor refused to be discouraged. "You haven't eaten anything all day." It was daylight outside my window. I was surprised I'd slept so long. "I made you some chicken noodle soup." I didn't know he knew how to cook. I wonder who taught him. It couldn't be his dad. Liz told me that their father had been an absentee parent throughout their childhood.

Inside my mind I said _aww, that's so sweet_ but outside I said, "Thanks."

He set the tray on my lap. "Do you need me to feed you?"

Even though I was in the mood to be coddled, I said no. I wasn't sure of his feelings for me and I didn't want to encourage him just in case. Plus Taylor feeding me would just be too… intimate.

I drank a spoonful. The soup tasted really good and I felt my dormant appetite flowing to the surface. I set my spoon down when I was done and Taylor pushed my tray aside. He brushed my moist forehead with his fingertips. "You fever seems to be getting better."

I sighed, "Yeah but I still feel like crap. I think a bath might make me feel better."

"Good idea." Then Taylor helped me out of bed. I felt slightly dizzy and the room swam around me.

I let out a small squeak when Taylor scooped me up into his arms and carried me into the bathroom. Inside, he set me on my feet then left closing the door behind him. After turning on the shower, I removed my sweaty clothes. I opted to keep the water nice and cool as I was still feeling a bit warm. Ducking under the shower, I let the water soak my hair. After I'd rinsed off my shower gel, I stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed. Just as I'd wrapped myself in my robe, I heard a knock at the bathroom door.

"Isabella, are you finished."

"Yes."

Taylor opened the door and scooped me up again. He then carried me back to my room and sat me on my bed. I realized that while I was having my shower, Taylor had changed the sheets on my bed and he'd even gone as far as to lay out a fresh change of clothes.

A light blush crossed my face. Taylor sure knew how to make a girl feel special. "Thanks a lot, Taylor."

He shrugged, "No problem. Now do you need me to help you get dressed?" His green eyes twinkled mischievously.

My blush darkened as I replied, "I think I can handle that, thanks."

With a smirk, he turned and left the room. Thankful that he hadn't laid out my underwear, I rummaged through my dresser in search of some. After drying off, I pulled on my clothes. The tiredness returned so I decided to go back to bed. I must have dosed off for a few hours because the next time I opened my eyes it was nighttime again. As I rolled over I was able to make out Taylor's dosing figure in the dim light of my room.

A small smile crossed my face. Taylor was much too kind for his own good. I decided to try to get him to leave and maybe get some sleep in his own bed. "Taylor?" His eyes snapped open as soon as I said his name.

"Do you need something?" He came and sat on the edge of my bed.

"Yes, I need you to go home and get some sleep. That chair can't be comfortable and if you keep hanging around me you'll get sick too." I croaked. My throat felt dry and achy. I really didn't want him catching this cold too.

"Are you sure? Ryan and Liz are out of commission with this flu and Zach has our apartment under quarantine, so if I leave you'll be on your own." His eyes were filled with concern.

"I'll be fine." My statement was ruined by a sickly, hacking cough.

"That's it, I'm staying." By the resolute set of his jaw, I knew I wouldn't have any luck getting him to leave. Taylor had a stubborn streak identical to Liz's. I drank some more of the cough syrup after he passed me the bottle.

I stopped him as he was about to return to his chair. "Well, if you insist on staying, you might as well be comfortable. Here… hop in." I pulled the blanket back and patted the space next to me. Despite my seemingly bold gesture, I was a little anxious. I'd only previously shared a bed with two men and they were ex-boyfriends. Of course, Taylor was my friend. My sweet, kind and ridiculously handsome friend who I was attracted to. And who might also have a thing for me.

Taylor raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? I don't want to have to fight you off me, like the last time." I knew he was referring to the time I accidentally fell on him.

My cheeks were flushed with embarrassment. _The big jerk!_ I threw a pillow at him which he laughingly caught. "I think I can resist your charms."

His arm brushed against mine as he lay down beside me. "Just keep your hands to yourself."

"Oh please. You are not that hot." I smirked.

"So you think I'm hot?" He made no attempt to hide the blatant amusement in his voice.

"Just shut up." I huffed and rolled over with my back facing him, trying to hide my bashfulness.

A heavy silence followed until Taylor broke it by poking me in the back. I squirmed and stifled a giggle, "Stop." He poked me again. "I dare you to do that one more time." I warned with fake sternness in my voice.

When peace and quiet prevailed again, I allowed myself to relax until… _poke_. Giggling, I rolled over to face him. In the dimness of my room, I saw that Taylor was on his side smiling too. "You shouldn't poke a sick person. Why are you bothering me?"

His smile faded a bit as his eyes held me steady in their gaze. "I just wanted to say…" He sighed heavily. "… I'm glad to be back home."

I smiled gently and punched his shoulder lightly. "I am too." Hanover was home. At least until I was able to figure out what where I wanted to move to after college.

A short moment passed and I felt my fatigue return as my eyes began to close down on me. As I drifted off to sleep, I thought I felt fingertips brush my hair off my cheek. It wasn't until morning that I would encounter a roaming hand that would ignite a bunch of confusing feelings.

* * *

**A/N: **Okay truth time, I know you guys miss Jacob but to be fair, I did say that this was Bella's journey.

If you're hoping that I'll have Bella drop out of college to go chase after a man she's convinced doesn't love her anymore, you're going to be disappointed.

Just relax and enjoy the story. I have a huge problem with the way Bella's portrayed in most stories.

I'm tired of reading stories in which Bella can't function if she isn't within two feet of Jacob or Edward.

That's how this story came into being.

I do hope you guys will stick around for the ending... but for those of you who can't wait. I understand.

**Coming up next:**Bella breaks her bed and screams penis at the top of her lungs.

It's summertime again and she also gets a phone call from an unexpected source.

You know what to do if you want your chapter before next Thursday.**Review!**


	26. Mc Steamy or Mc Dreamy

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

I would have posted this chapter earlier but I had some internet problems.**  
**

* * *

Chapter 26

The following morning, as my consciousness drifted in, I felt warm and cozy. Moving my body slightly, I realized why I was so comfortable. Taylor's arm was wrapped around me, holding me in a tight grip as his entire body was pressed up against my back. A steady warm breath drifted across my neck as his face was buried in my hair. Our legs were tangled together beneath my blanket. With my eyes still closed, I wriggled again and felt a warm tingle on my stomach. Somehow during the night, Taylor's hand had found its way up my shirt and now his palm was resting flat on my belly tingling the hell out of me.

A flurry of emotions flowed through me. I felt safe, disturbed, turned on and a little freaked out. My breath hitched in my throat when Taylor stirred and his hand moved further up my stomach. When his hand stopped, his fingertip was barely brushing my breast. I panicked silently. If his hand were to move one more time… things would be weird between us. You can't sleep-grope your friend and have things _not_ be weird afterward. Our friendship boundaries would be crossed.

_Oh crap! What am I going to do? _I decided to try to see if I could wriggle my way out of his grasp but that only made him grip me tighter. My options were down to waking him up and having him see where his hand was. But that was another embarrassing situation I was willing to avoid at all costs. The most I could do was hope that he would change positions again and roll away from me.

With our situation being what it was, I wouldn't be able to get anymore sleep. I opened my eyes to see light olive feet in pair of red bunny slippers standing not far from my bed. As my eyes took in what my mind already knew, I groaned. A red nosed Liz was standing with coffee in hand, watching us. I thanked God that the blanket was covering us from her full view. But even with that, we still looked… _co_zy.

"Well, well, well. Look at what we have here?" Liz sniggered loudly, which caused Taylor's head to snap up. _Great, he's awake to witness my shame_.

My face burned as Taylor slipped his hand from beneath my shirt, leaving a tingles in its wake. I was so embarrassed I couldn't even make eye contact with Taylor as he moved away.

Liz pinned us with a hawk-like gaze as she twirled her coffee cup. "Now I know why my many calls for _water_ were going unanswered." She smiled evilly and wriggled her eyebrows suggestively. "So am I too late or too early? Cause I get the feeling that I'm interrupting something."

I bristled slightly. Liz knew damn well nothing happened between Taylor and me but just like last time she was trying to get under my skin. Well, it wasn't going to work. Not this time.

Steeling myself, I sat up slowly. "I would say you're too early. Come back in the next hour or so."

A deep laughed rumbled in Taylor's chest making me struggle to keep a straight face. Liz's coffee mug was frozen halfway to her mouth which was currently hanging open. I allowed myself a tiny, smug smile. Liz recovered quickly though. Her eyes twinkle mischievously as she gestured to me with her mug. "You see how she talks to me?" She set her coffee mug down on my dresser. "I should kick your ass."

"Bitch, I'd like to see you try." Raising an eyebrow, I challenged her to a fight I had no hope of winning. Liz was like some kind of cage fighter as she dove on the bed. In our rough scuffle, Taylor groaned as one of us kicked him in the stomach. But in the end, I was no match for the warrior princess as she had me on my stomach with one hand pinned behind my back.

We were both out of breath as we panted. "So do you give up?"

Deciding to play possum, I stopped my struggles and allowed my body to go limp. "All right, all right. You win."

As soon as Liz loosened her grip, I rolled over. My sudden movement threw her off balance and I was able to push her down. Taylor wasn't able to get out of the way fast enough so, he ended up stuck under two crazy women in their violent struggle for supremacy.

Suddenly I remembered Liz was extremely ticklish and decided to use her weakness against her. I climbed on top of Taylor and Liz and began to tickle her. Liz was in stitches, threatening me in between laughs. "Evil bitch…_ha-ha…_ I'll kill you… _ha-ha…_ bury your body…" She screamed and squirmed, trying to get away from me.

Our screams and laughter must have been what woke Ryan. He shuffled through the door looking very much like an old man. "Hey, hey. What's going on in here? What's all the noise…?" His voice trailed off as he took in the girl on girl on boy action.

My hands paused in their tickle motion and Liz panted, "Izzy's picking on me." Her tone was whiny and petulant. I snorted and rolled my eyes. As if Ryan would actually believe that.

A grinning Ryan sauntered over to us. "Somehow I find that hard to believe. It looks like you guys are having a pile on. I'm in." He promptly cross the room threw his large body on us.

I groaned, "My hip."

"My everything." Liz complained.

"Ouch!" Ryan cried as Liz smacked him in the head.

Taylor shoved Ryan. "Man, get off. You're killing me."

Ryan's smiled devilishly. "It sounds to me, like you're trying to start a fight." He then proceeded to shove Taylor which started a shoving match between the two men.

Liz and I screamed in protest, trying in vain to get away. We didn't want to be in the middle of their wrestling. All of our screaming and hollering was interrupted when Zach came through the door. I was surprised to see him as he'd all but abandoned us since we got sick.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Taylor grunted as Liz accidentally elbowed him in the ribs.

Zach whined, "There's no food in our apartment. All of the food's over here." He waved his hunger away. "But forget about that. Looks like you guys are having a pile on. Room for one more?"

"Hell yeah." Ryan cheered and Zach threw himself into the mass of limbs causing my once strong and reliable bed to collapse under our combined weight.

* * *

Since it was their fault my bed was demolished, the boys got the pleasure of spending the day repairing it, while Liz and I relaxed in her bed. Taylor and I never got to discuss the almost groping thing and I sure as hell wasn't going to bring it up. One thing bothered me though, I could decide if I was disappointed or relieved that we were interrupted by Liz. But once I reminded myself of all the reasons we couldn't date, my mind settled on relief. I would just have to ensure there wouldn't be any more opportunities for touching in the future.

When I tried to talk to Zach about the Cullens again, he refused. Saying he would rather pretend that our conversation in the bathroom never happened. If he preferred to live in ignorance then I would oblige him for now. But I knew sooner or later he would have questions for me. Alice called and I had a conference call with the Cullens, explaining to them about Zach. I also assured them that Zach was trustworthy and he had no intentions of talking about them to anyone, including me. Rosalie smacked Emmett in the head when he offered to come scare Zach into silence and I laughingly told her that that was a very Liz-like thing to do.

After the winter semester began, I started hanging out with Dillon and some of his friends whenever I ran into him at the Dining Hall. They were a nice enough bunch of guys. A little loud and pompous but nice enough. Even though Dillon and I still weren't dating, Liz was happy. She said our spending time together was a step in the right direction. Taylor wasn't happy about it though. Every time Dillon's name was brought up in conversation he'd make _the face_. I was beginning to think he really did have some sort of crush on me. Of course, it didn't help that Dillon didn't like him either. Dillon would call Taylor an _immigrant_ and Taylor would call him an _egotistical jackass_. They drove me crazy with the jaw clenching and the snide remarks.

I was still curious about Liz and Taylor's abilities, though. To look at them one would think they were completely ordinary. There had been no more disturbing occurrences like the one that happened at the Cullen house. If it hadn't been for Edward, I wouldn't have guessed that they were _unique_.

I'd chosen English as my major but I still didn't know what I wanted to do after school. Teaching was always an option but I was looking for something a bit more challenging. I wasn't in a hurry to figure it out. I still had time to decide what I wanted to do with my life.

Liz dragged me to every art gallery and museum showing at Dartmouth. She saw it as her responsibility to expose me to some culture. I wasn't really an art person but I pretended to enjoy it for Liz's sake. She was thinking about applying for an internship at the Dartmouth Museum. Liz was already considered a regular at all the museums and was thought to have a good eye. I knew she would have no trouble at all getting in.

She was always so bold and obviously comfortable in her sexuality. I wished I was a little more like her. On several different occasions she actually tried to question me about my sex life but I usually managed to steer her away from the topic. However, my thinly veiled attempts at subterfuge would be in vain. The boys were having a guys night out at a bar downtown town. Liz and I were alone in the apartment one night watching Grey's Anatomy. We were curled up on the couch watching McSteamy try to seduce yet another doctor at the hospital. Really, it was a miracle that any of them managed to save any lives with the nonstop sex they were having.

Liz turned her head away from the screen. "So, what kind of guy would you want to be with, a McDreamy or McSteamy?"

Frowning, I munched on a potato chip. "I don't know. McDreamy is sweet and kind. He's the kind of man you marry. But I think that kind of man might bore you after a while." I smirked. "McSteamy, though. He's exciting and hella sexy but he's not the commitment type. So, I think I'd want a guy to be a mixture of both worlds. Sensitive yet sexy enough to keep things hot. What about you?"

Liz sipped her coke. "I'm with you. Having both is definitely a good idea. But my bad side really wants a McSteamy. You know what I mean?" Liz replied, wriggling her eyebrows.

"Yeah, I know." I giggled. There was such a thing as being too perfect. It tended to get tiresome after a while. I guess women were mostly attracted to the guys guaranteed to keep things interesting. But those were usually the guys that broke your heart.

After a momentary silence, Liz blurted, "So, are you a virgin?"

I choked on a potato chip and coughed. Liz patiently waited for me to calm down. After taking a swig of my soda, I replied, "No, I'm not."

Liz looked a little surprised at this. I suppose I must have given off the impression that I was one. I wondered if the guys thought I was a virgin too. "Was it Jacob?"

My heart clenched a bit. "Yeah. It only happened once, though."

Liz lowered her voice even though we were alone in the apartment. "Was it good?"

My face burned. "Liz!"

"What? Why can't I ask?"

"B-because it's private." I spluttered. I wasn't used to talking to anyone about my sex life.

"Izzy, one night you caught me sneaking out of the kitchen naked with a can of whip cream in my hand." Letting out a humbled chuckle, she shook her head. "We have no secrets from each other. Now answer the damn question."

I groaned with embarrassment but Liz was right. She's was always very open with me about everything. Even things I didn't want to know about like Ryan's toe licking fetish.

Usually, I tried my best never to think about that night. "It was… nice."

Liz wrinkled her nose. "Nice? That means it was crappy."

I hurried to correct her. "No it wasn't. It was nice… I mean being that close to him was nice but… it hurt more than anything else and I didn't have a … _you know_." By this time, my entire face was red.

Liz nodded her head in understanding. "Oh. You didn't have an orgasm."

"Liz!" I gasped. Did she always have to be so raw?

"Okay, one important thing. You shouldn't be having sex if you can't say the words." She set her soda aside.

"I can say the words." Folding my arms, I grumbled.

She pulled her wavy, brown hair over her shoulder and turned to me. A challenging gleam came to Liz's eyes. "Oh yeah? Well, I want you to say the word sex."

"Sex." I mumbled quietly. It wasn't that I couldn't say the word. It just felt wrong to say stuff like that out loud. Even though Renee had always been very open when it came to sexual discussions, I'd inherited Charlie's bashfulness when it came to the topic.

Liz wasn't satisfied. "Oh no. You have to say it louder than that."

"Sex!"

"Now say vagina."

_God, I don't want to play this game anymore_. "Vagina."

"Louder than that, Izzy." Liz shook her fist, letting me know I would get punched in the arm if I didn't do what she said.

I really wasn't feeling up to another wrestling match. "Vagina!"

Looking triumphant and smug, Liz said. "Now say penis."

I shot up from the couch and screamed at the top of my lungs. "Penis, penis, PENIS! Are you happy now?"

I watched as Liz rolled around on the couch, laughing like a crazy lady. Stomping my foot in frustration, I asked, "What the hell are you laughing at?"

Liz paused long enough to point a trembling finger at something over my shoulder, and then she resumed her guffawing.

I closed my eyes and prayed a silent prayer. _Dear God, if you love me, the boys will not be standing there when I turn around_. Slowly, I turn around and opened my eyes. Sure enough, they were all standing behind me laughing their asses off. I groaned. _God hates me! _I prayed for the ground to swallow me whole as I waited for their laughter to subside. I was so mortified.

"Damn, Izzy, you need to get laid." Zach said, as he brushed past me.

"We could hear Izzy all the way down the hall, Liz. Look at what you're doing. You're corrupting her." Ryan then walked into the kitchen grumbling something about penises.

Taylor leaned against the wall eying me up and down with a devilishly sexy smirk on his lips. Amusement danced in his green eyes. I decided to cut him off before he made any smart comments.

"Oh, shut up." I snapped, as I stomped back to the couch and sat down.

"But I didn't say anything." Taylor laughed.

"No but you were thinking it." Crossing my arms over my chest, I huffed.

"You got me there." He sat down next to me and threw an arm around my shoulder. We then watched the remainder of Grey's Anatomy in a silence that was occasionally interrupted by laughter.

* * *

The first few times I'd spoken to Emily, she was excited. Jared, Paul and Sam were starting a plumbing company together. Leah had actually grunted hello to her, shocking the hell out of the pack. It was a sign that Leah was, ever so slowly, softening toward her. But all that was gone after our last phone call. Leah found out about her and Sam's plans to get married in the summer. She cried on the phone as she told me that Leah wouldn't even look at her. It was like all the progress they'd made just vanished without a trace. I advised her to just give Leah some space. But I couldn't help but feel for Leah. I couldn't begin to imagine the pain she must have felt. Thankfully, Emily chose not to mention Jacob and Carmen. I wasn't really interested in hearing about their imprinted bliss.

Angela came out to Hanover to spend the last weeks of the summer with us. Liz and I picked her up at the airport and drove her back to our apartment. She wasn't her usual cheery self and almost bit Liz's head off when she asked why she didn't bring her boyfriend, Mark, along.

We rented a house at Lake Sunapee and had plans to drive up there the next day. Liz, Angela and I were in my room packing when she finally told us what happened. "I came back early from class and I caught him in bed with Karen."

"Oh my God, Angela. I'm so sorry." Liz gasped and gave her a consolatory hug.

Meanwhile, I fumed silently. I couldn't believe that Karen would do something like that to her best friend. Even though she was predatory, that was a really low thing for her to do.

"So what did you do?" I sat on the bed next to her.

Angela wiped the angry tears from her eyes. "I kicked both their asses. That's exactly what I did." She laughed at my shocked expression. "I punched Karen in the eye and kicked Mark right in the balls."

Liz cackled madly, enjoying the scandal. "You did not."

Angela smiled smugly. "Damn right I did. Then I told that bitch I wanted her out of my apartment by the time I got back from Hanover."

As Angela was giving Liz all the gory details, I answered my ringing cell phone. "Hello."

"Bella." The voice on the other end was Leah's but it was hardly recognizable.

"Leah! Are you okay?" It was a relief to hear her voice but she didn't sound like herself. Questions whirled around my mind. _How did she get past the injunction? Did Jacob let her call me?_

"Bella… I can't stay here. I can't be here to watch them get married." She sounded so beaten down and brokenhearted. Her anger was easy to deal with but it scared me to hear the despondency in her voice.

I didn't know what to say to her, so I said the only thing I could. "You can come here, Leah. You can come spend some time with me."

* * *

**A/N:**You guys really surprised me with your reviews in the last chapter.

I didn't know that so many of you loved Taylor and some of you are even rooting for a Bella/Taylor ending.

This is exactly why reviews are important to an author.

To let us know what and who you're liking.

The next chapter is already written. You know what to do if you want it before next week.**Review!**

**Coming up next:**Leah pays a long anticipated visit and they have some fun at a bar with some surprising results.


	27. Sex on Fire

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 27

Leah's flight was supposed to get in around noon and I sat in the airport lounge waiting for her. I'd sent everyone ahead to the cabin with the promise that I would meet them in a couple of hours. Taylor had offered to come with me but I assured him that I would be fine on my own. I didn't know what condition Leah would be in and I didn't want to crowd her.

Standing at Gate 7, I looked for Leah amongst the crowd of off-loading passengers. She wasn't hard to find. Her russet skin, tall model-like physique and fierce beauty drew stares as she strode through the airport, effortlessly tugging two suitcases. She'd let her hair grow back. It now reached her shoulders. As she approached me, I observed her facial expression. She wore the same bitter mask of betrayal but her eyes were filled with so much sadness that it broke my heart.

Not knowing what else to say, I said, "Hey."

"Hey." At least she didn't sound as hopeless as she did yesterday. After our phone call, she hopped on the first flight out of Washington. Leah needed this time away. She'd suffered more pain and disappointment than anyone I'd ever known and now she'd finally reached her breaking point. She allowed me to take one of her suitcases and we walked out of the airport together.

As we drove away from the airport, Leah peeled her eyes away from the window to look at me. "Thanks for letting me come with you guys. I just couldn't…" Unable to finish, her voice trailed off.

"I understand, Leah. It's no problem. Everyone's really looking forward to meeting you." Her dark eyes lit up with momentary surprise. "Don't worry, I didn't tell them much. I just told them that you're here for some fun and relaxation." I wanted to give her a fresh start with some new people. People that didn't know anything about her tragic past and who didn't already have any preconceived notions about her. How everyone saw Leah would be completely up to her.

"So how long can you stay for?" Sam and Emily's wedding was four days away.

"Two weeks. Then I have to get back." She pressed her lips into a thin line. She obviously wasn't looking forward to going back. I couldn't say that I blamed her.

I turned the car onto the Interstate. "I can't believe Jacob removed the injunction." After months of no contact, why would he suddenly allow Leah to have contact with me?

Leah smirked, "Believe it. He turned me down when I asked for some time off. The ass had actually expected me to stay and watch them get married." Leah paused and her expression darkened with malice. "He said that I should be there to give them my support. I told him he could support my ass." She snarled and for a moment her body quivered before she regained control of the wolf, much to my relief. I really didn't need Leah to burst into a giant wolf inside my car.

Shaking my head at Jacob's audacity, I couldn't believe how insensitive he was to Leah. How could he not understand how much it would hurt Leah to see her cousin marry her ex-fiancé? It would have been pure torture to have to stay and watch the wedding her and Sam was supposed to have. "So what changed his mind?"

"He was unmovable until I threatened to mess with-." Leah suddenly clamped her mouth shut and looked away.

She didn't need to complete her sentence but I prodded her to continue. "Go ahead, Leah. You can say it. He didn't want you torturing Carmen. Right?" Now I was the one wearing the stoic mask on my face. Guess Jacob didn't want his precious imprint upset. We can't have that, now can we?

I switched lanes and took the exit off the interstate. I knew the directions to the cabin, having previously been there with Taylor to check out the place and drop off groceries. "Yeah, but not without a couple injunctions though."

"What are they?" Taking a quick glance at Leah, I noticed she was looking back at me with sadness in her eyes. _Sadness for me_.

"I'm not allowed to tell you anything about his personal life and I'm not allowed to think about you at all when I'm phased." Suddenly, I remembered Edward's words in the woods, the day he left me. _It will be as if I never existed_. Leah warily eyed the rapidly increasing speedometer and the white, knuckled grip I had on the staring wheel. "Are you okay, Bella?"

Forcing my foot to relax on the gas, I replied, "I'm fine." Over and over I told myself that Jacob wasn't deliberately trying to hurt me. That he was just trying to move on with his life but it was getting harder and harder to believe that.

Leah touched my shoulder and said, "To hell with them."

I offered her a bitter smile. "Yeah, to hell with them." I decided to change the subject. "Anyway, as there are only five bedrooms at the house you'll have to share a room with me."

"You sure you don't mind?"

Smiling, I reassured her. "No. It'll be like sharing a room with my sister."

Leah rolled her eyes. "Who knows? We might end up becoming stepsisters if our parents keep going the way they're going." Charlie seemed so much happier the last time I'd spoken to him. Sue was really making a positive difference in his life. "Oh my God. I forgot to tell you. Once I'd actually caught them making out on the couch." Leah cackled. It was nice to hear.

I shouted in disbelief. "What?" The idea of my Dad making out with anyone was hard to believe.

"Yeah, I came home one night, turned on the lights in the family room and bam! They were on the couch going at it like two teens in the backseat of a car." Leah paused to catch her breath then continued. "He even had his hand up her blouse."

"Leah!" _My God_. I was officially grossed out. My mind suffered with images of Charlie and Sue tonguing and groping each other. _Ew!_

"What? I shouldn't be the only one stuck with that image in my head." Leah wrinkled her nose and we both cringed.

As I turned off the road and onto to the dirt path, the vacation house came into view and Leah whistled, "Wow… nice."

The Adirondack styled house was beautiful with a panoramic view of the lake and surrounded by pine and hardwood trees. I pulled the car in next to Ryan's, then Leah and I got out. With her luggage in tow, we climbed up the stairs and let ourselves into the house.

Hearing the television and their laughter, I assumed everyone was in the living room, so I led Leah in there. "We're here." I announced as I set down her suitcase. As I made introductions, Zach made his way over to Leah, smiling his trademark smile and I groaned inwardly. I recognized that look in his eyes. _Oh no_. _Here it comes_.

"Izzy didn't tell me you would be so breathtaking." He extended his hand but Leah didn't shake it.

Instead, she eyed his hand suspiciously then rolled her eyes. Before he could say anything else, she snorted, "Not interested."

My mouth fell open as everyone else responded with laughter. Liz quickly came to the rescue, picking up Leah's suitcase. "Leah, I'll show you to your room." She snickered softly as she led Leah away.

After they disappeared Ryan guffawed, "Damn, she totally shot you down." Zach wasn't paying attention though. He was busy staring off into space with the oddest expression in his eyes. His hazel eyes held a mixture of awe and… _excitement_? Zach wasn't the least bit put off by her attitude. _What the hell?_

Deciding to put an end to his thoughts I pointed a finger in his face. "Now listen here, man whore. You stay away from my friend." My words elicited more giggles from Angela and chortling from the guys. Taking a moment to rethink my words, I wondered if Zach could be the kind of distraction Leah needed. Maybe Zach should watch out. Leah could more than take care of herself. She certainly didn't need my protection.

As their laugh died down, Taylor said, "We were just about to head down to the lake to swim. Why don't you girls join us?"

I shrugged and replied, "Sure." Then I left the room with Angela trailing behind me.

Angela went to change in her room. Entering my bedroom, I found Leah unpacking. "Hey, we're going to hang out by the lake. You want to come with?" I dug through my suitcase for my bikini. Before coming here, Angela, Liz and I went bikini shopping in anticipation for some swimming.

"I'd like to, but I didn't bring a bikini."

"Thanks okay. I have some brand new ones you could choose from. You would probably fill them out better anyway." I was grateful for Liz's insistence that I buy more bikinis than I actually needed.

Leah chose a red, braided triangle top bikini and slipped into the bathroom to put it on. While she was gone I put on my purple halter top with a matching low-rise bottom. Looking at myself in the mirror, I chose to push aside my usual shyness. My pale skin really made the purple pop. Just as I was grabbing some towels, Leah came out of the bathroom in her bikini.

"Wow." It was all I could say. I was right. Leah filled out the bikini much better than I ever could. That bikini definitely brought out her feminine side. Her toned body along with her shapely, long legs was guaranteed to give Zach a heart attack. If he thought she was gorgeous before, she looked down right sinful now.

She gave me a smirk. "Thanks. By the way, you look hot. That's a great color on you."

"Thanks. Let's get outside." As we left the bedroom, we met Angela coming out of hers in wearing a sexy cheetah print bikini. "You look great in that bathing suit, Angela." I smiled.

"I saw some cute guys next door. Figured I'd go say hi." I shook my head at her forwardness. She was determined to get back on the horse.

Turned out, Angela wouldn't have to go to neighbors. When we walked around back the back of the house, they were there tossing a football around with the guys.

Liz was putting on some music. She wore a pink, double-string, triangle top with a skirted low-rise bottom. The lake was busy with people swimming, kayaking and riding jet skis. It seemed like a lot of college kids came out to vacation at the lake for the summer.

I helped Liz with the cooler then we spread our towels in the grass and settled down to watch the show.

Angela stretched out and sighed, "And we're back." She grinned and flirted with a tall blonde-haired guy that smiled at her.

Crossing one long leg over the other, Liz sighed in appreciation, "Isn't it great?" She then winked at Ryan.

"Yep, they're hot." I murmured. Zach glanced at us then did a double take when he saw Leah. His mouth fell open comically as his running slowed to a stop. Raising his hand, he offered a dazed wave at Leah before Ryan clocked him in the head with ball.

Leah rolled her eyes in amused annoyance and looked away when we all laughed gleefully. "I must say, Bella, they really are impressive looking." She gestured to Ryan, Zach and Taylor. "Especially the green-eyed one. And trust me I have high standards when it comes to men." I was slightly taken aback when she eyed Taylor appreciatively.

I saw Angela and Liz exchange knowing smirks at my expression. "Zach's not a slouch in the hotness department either." Angela said slyly.

"Yeah, he's all right." Leah replied dismissively but I saw her eyes follow his well-defined frame. Smiling to myself, I was a tad bit relieved. Leah might have found Taylor appealing but it wasn't him her eyes were being continually drawn to. I watched as a soft breeze blew her hair across her face and for a second I caught a glimpse of the carefree, happy girl she used to be. I knew that girl was still inside her somewhere. It would just take a bit of time to bring her back out.

Liz raised an eyebrow. "Leah? So, you know Jacob Black, right?" Her expression darkened when she said Jacob's name. Liz was still upset about his phone call that night.

"Please don't hold it against me." Leah quipped, making us all laugh.

"Ooh, I like her." Liz tossed Leah a soda from the cooler after she asked. "So, are there more guys that look like him back in Forks?"

Leah cackled, "Oh, there are a _bunch_ of men that look just like him where I come from."

Angela and Liz were practically salivating as they fantasized about russet skinned hunks. I felt a sting as I thought about Jacob. Leah must have seen something in my face as she decided to change the subject. "So, what are we doing tonight?"

Liz was bursting with excitement. "We have to go shopping because we're going to Jimmy's Bar later and tonight is cowboy night. Line dancing! Yay!" She raised her hands and her brown hair bounced around as she did a little seat dance.

Leah turned to me with raised eyebrows. "Did she just cheer, Bella?"

Whatever I was about to say was interrupted when I was unceremoniously lifted by Taylor and thrown into the lake. As I surfaced sputtering, looking like a drown rat, I was joined by a cursing Liz and a squealing Angela. Taylor, Ryan and the blonde guy stood on the dock laughing before they followed us into the lake.

Leah remained untouched as she laughed at us but I watched as Zach sauntered over and sat next to her. Her smile faded a little as she eyed him warily. However, Zach's body language was confident and relaxed as he spoke to her. I tensed and begged silently, _Zach, don't you say something stupid_. But my worry was in vain as Leah a small smile flitted across her face. As I was too far away, I wasn't able to hear their conversation.

My attempts at spying was interrupted when Taylor grab my foot and pulled me underwater. I surfaced, gasping for air to find him laughing at me. In irritated amusement, I splashed water in his face. "Jerk."

* * *

Jimmy's Bar was a popular watering hole for locals and visitors alike. In honor of cowboy's night, the bar had been decorated with horns on the wall and there was the skull of an ox on each table. The bar even had a mechanical bull in the back.

"Do any of you know how wrong it is to have Native Americans dressed up like cowboys?" Leah grumbled and adjusted the black cowboy hat on her head. She crossed one jean clad leg over the other and leaned back in her seat.

"That's what I said." Zach mumbled absentmindedly. He was much too busy staring at Leah's cleavage in her leather vest.

Seeing where his eyes were concentrated, she snapped her fingers at him and pointed to her face. "My eyes are up here, pervert."

Amusement flickered in Zach's hazel eyes. "Forgive me. Your body is enough to mesmerize any man." He grinned wolfishly at her and flicked the hat on his head.

Leah rolled her eyes and we all laughed. Zach was flirting his heart out but so far Leah had been resisting all of his pick-up attempts. It was entertaining to watch them. If nothing else he made her laugh more than I'd ever seen in all the time I'd known her.

I smoothed down my ruffle shirt and then turned my attention back to the dance floor where Liz and Ryan were dancing or groping each other, whichever way you wanted to look at it. Angela was in a corner dancing with the blond from the lake, Danny. Her eyes twinkled as she smiled up at him. She really looked beautiful in her tie-top and vest, with the matching skirt.

Even though tonight was supposed to be a cowboys theme, occasionally the DJ would play some hip hop, pop and alternative music to appease the youthful crowd that had taken over the bar.

I was trying to look at anything but the man sitting next to me as I drank my third beer of the night. Taylor was looking particularly sexy tonight in his dark blue western shirt that he'd rolled up to his forearms, black jeans with the large belt buckle and boots. He'd neglected to shave for a few days so he had a five o'clock shadow on his face giving him a rugged look. I swear I almost swallowed my tongue when I first saw him tonight. I was grateful for the distraction when Leah nudged me with her elbow, telling me that I was ogling him for too long. Of course, it didn't help that he was staring at me too. Even now as I drank my beer I could feel his gaze burning into my skin.

There'd always been a mutual, underlying attraction between us but tonight it was palpable. It was getting harder and harder to deny the tangible chemistry we shared. Taylor was also drinking more than usual tonight which would have accounted for the way he was feeling me up with his eyes. In fact, we were all high tonight, well… except for Zach and Leah.

I heard the intro for 'Sex On Fire' playing then Taylor's deep voice broke through my inner musings. "Do you want to dance?"

_No, I want you to keep your hands to yourself, you sexy bastard_. But my body reacted, against the wishes of my rapidly diminishing common sense and I took his hand. Over the course of the night, I'd caught several woman gawking at Taylor and I didn't blame them. Dressed in that cowboy get-up and armed his sexual magnetism, Taylor Reed looked like the kind of cowboy you saw on the cover of bodice ripping novels.

_You, your sex is on fire  
Consumed with what's to transpire_

I groaned inwardly, he just _had_ to pick a sexy song. Taylor placed his hands on my hips and pulled me to him. And just like always I allowed my hands to trail up his arms to find their resting place on his shoulders. We fell into an easy rhythm, almost as if we had been dancing like this for years.

_Hot as a fever, rattling bones  
I could just taste it, taste it  
If it's not forever, if it's just tonight  
Oh, it's still the greatest, the greatest, the greatest_

Trying to justify my feelings, I told myself that Taylor was forbidden fruit and that was the only reason I wanted him. People always tended to want what they couldn't have, right? So, this was nothing more than me wanting to taste forbidden fruit. He pressed his hand on the small of my back pulling me even closer to him. I stared up at his face and his eyes smoldered as he looked back at me. My hand itched to brush away the black lock of hair that had a habit of falling into his face. But instead I leaned my head on his muscular chest, closed my eyes and pretended. I pretended that he wasn't Liz's brother and therefore off-limits to me. I pretended that I wasn't the damned secret keeper for every freaking supernatural creature on the planet. It felt nice to pretend I was normal and dancing with a guy it was okay to like.

For a moment I wondered if my life would always be so messed up and complicated. Would I ever be able to just have a simple, happy life? Alice said I hadn't made the decision to be happy yet. But what the hell did that even mean? Pushing those thoughts aside, I went back to my pretending and we continued to dance.

We continued dancing in the same slow, steady pace regardless the song. When I felt I'd done enough pretending for one night I pulled away from Taylor. He eyes reflected disappointment but he had to have known that I would pull away eventually. I tipsily made my way back to my seat and sat down next to Leah. Zach was nowhere in sight and I didn't see Taylor when I looked back toward the dance floor.

Raising an eyebrow, Leah inquired, "So, you and Spanish, huh?"

I rolled my eyes at her question and her nickname for Taylor. "No, we're just friends." Now it was Leah's turn to roll her eyes. I decided to change the subject before she had the chance to make one of her sarcastic comments. "So why aren't you dancing?"

"Zach asked but I don't know…" Uncertainty flickered in her eyes and I wondered when the last time she danced with someone was. I figured it was probably with Sam.

"It's just dancing, Leah. It's no big deal." I tried to encourage her.

A challenge flashed Leah's eyes. "I'll make you a deal. If you ride that mechanical bull in the back, then I'll dance with Zach."

She smiled smugly and I was slightly annoyed. She was so sure I would back down. Well, I would show her. I took her drink and finished it off in one gulp. It burned my throat as it went down. _Tequila, not a smart choice_. Steeling myself, I grabbed my hat, stood up and marched to the back of the bar. In hindsight, it probably wasn't a good idea to ride the bull whilst drunk but a deal was a deal and tonight I just wanted to be crazy, cut loose and have fun. After everything I'd been through, I think I deserved that much.

_Several blurry and confusing hours later…_

Argh! My senses were assaulted by the blinding rays of the sun. Pain ran rampant in my head and I concluded I had the hangover from hell. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes to a room I didn't recognize. _Dear God, where am I?_ My eyes took in a male wrist watch on the nightstand. _Whose room is this?_ Raising a hand to my head, I messaged my throbbing temple. As I shifted my body I felt a pain in my lower back. _Why does my back hurt?_ I let my hand flop to the side but instead of hitting the soft fabric of sheet, as I'd been expecting, my hand smacked hard flesh. _What the hell?_ I turned my head to see the sleeping form of a man lying on his stomach next to me. I recognized the body and hair of a man I'd stared at many times over the past two years.

_Taylor?_ What. The. _Fuck!_

* * *

**A/N:**Lyrics to the song Bella and Taylor were dancing to is from Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon.**  
**

So what do think of Leah and Zach's first meeting? I thought at making Leah imprint but then I said nah, way too easy.

What happened at the bar? Why is Bella in Taylor's bed. Dun dun dun!

**Coming up next:** The next chapter will be in Leah's POV as she explains what happened in the bar and talks about what's going on back home.

You know what to do if you want your chapter before next Thursday. Review!


	28. The Bitter Ramblings of an Alpha Bitch

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 28

Leah's POV

I had to get away. It was as simple as that. No… not simple. There's nothing simple about your cousin and former best friend marrying the man that was supposed to be yours. There's nothing simple about people wanting you to smile and pretend your heart is not trying to claw its way out of your chest. I couldn't stand to listen to the ridiculous chirping about wedding dresses, cakes and honeymoons. The pitying looks and side glances were driving me out of my mind. _Poor Leah. She's so pathetic and lonely and heartbroken_. So I left. Jacob said I was running away but he could have kissed my ass. After all the shit I'd been through, I fucking deserved some time off and he knew it. If he didn't want a crazy, pissed off werewolf at Sam and Emily's wedding, he would give me what I wanted. I knew that Seth and my mom would understand why I needed to do this. _Everyone else could fuck off_.

The difficult part was that Emily and I were kind of, sort of becoming friends again before I found out about the wedding. I knew she was hurt that I wouldn't be there but she didn't have much of a choice. None of us did, especially Sam. As long as I lived, I would never like imprinting. Falling into obsessive love with someone you didn't know wasn't normal. There might have been a purpose to imprinting decades ago, during wartime, but there wasn't much of a use for it today in our modern society. People deserved the right to choose who they wanted to love. Sam had chosen to love me but that love was now shoved aside because of some ridiculous chemical attraction.

These past few months had been pure torture for me, not having anyone to talk to. Even though Rachel was back, it wasn't the same between us. She was a _chosen one_. I was happy for her, really but at the same time I knew she would never really understand the anguish imprinting had caused me.

Bella was the only other person I knew that understood the agony of not being able to have the life you so desperately wanted. If anyone had told me two years ago that I would be friends with _leech lover_ Bella Swan, I would have laughed in their face. But we were friends. Bella was the only real friend I had nowadays. She didn't give up on me. Even when Jacob had effectively cut off all forms of communication between us, she still found a way to let me know she was still my friend when I needed it most.

Christmas had been a particularly crappy time for me with the wolves and their imprints sucking face under mistletoes. I lay on my bed in my room, trying not to think about the last Christmas Sam and I were together, when he promised to love me forever. All of our memories meant nothing now. I meant nothing to him and I felt so completely alone. As I began to feel the rage boiling inside me again, my eyes spied a small package on my nightstand. Seth said it was delivered to the house while I was out. I grabbed the package and saw there was no return address. As I ripped open the brown packaging and opened the box, a silver bracelet tumbled out into my hand. I'd never been one of those girls that cried at the drop of the hat but when I saw the engraving _'still your friend,'_ a single tear ran down my cheek. That was one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for me.

It was hard to believe that Bella had found a way around Jacob's injunction. Jacob may have been my Alpha but I wasn't above letting him know that he was acting like an ass. I understood his anger and I understood why he was drawn to Carmen. For a werewolf, every emotion seemed to be multiplied by ten. Love, sex, anger… all of those feelings controlled us and played huge parts in how we react to situations.

I didn't break any rules by not telling him why Bella left. I got the feeling that a part of him (his male pride) was hurt by the fact that Bella didn't need him to save her anymore. He gotten so used to being her knight and shining armor that he didn't know how to relate to her being able to take care of herself.

By stopping us from talking, he wasn't trying to discipline me, he was trying to punish Bella. He was trying to hurt her. He knew it would break her heart to hear him say he didn't care about her anymore. But now even though he still cared about her, it was too late. After he'd heard from Charlie that Bella went to visit Cullen after Christmas, he went out, got drunk and did something stupid. Now he'll have to deal with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life. _Idiot!_

Carmen may have had Jacob fooled but she didn't fool me. There was something about her I didn't trust. I knew that she was the reason for the current divide among the wolf girls. But Jacob thought the sun shone out of her ass, so there wasn't anything I could do about her. She was _untouchable_. I couldn't interfere but if that bitch knew what was good for her she'd keep her forked tongue behind her teeth and not talk to me. No one listened to anything I had to say anyway. Just the bitter ramblings of an Alpha bitch.

Bella seemed happier though. Her eyes no longer held the dark, debilitating shadows they used to back in Forks. She'd let her hair grow longer. It was now a little past the middle of her back. She even smiled more and laughed freely. That was a change I welcomed with open arms. Back in Forks, she was always so fucking depressing with her constant whining about Edward and Jacob. It was nice seeing her stand on her own two feet without them instead of endlessly moaning about her sun and her moon. There were times when I wanted to smother her with a pillow. Since being here, I hadn't once seen her trip and break her ass. She walked with her head high, back straight, oozing confidence. I didn't know what it was. I wasn't sure if it was the fact that she got to start over some place new or if it had something to do with her friends.

Bella's 'gang' was a cool bunch of people. Liz and Ryan were so in love that it was almost sickening to watch. Angela had just gotten her heart broken and was on the market for a summer romance. Taylor was an exotically, beautiful man and if it wasn't for the fact that he and Bella couldn't stop sneaking peeks at each other, I might have made a play for him myself. He was _that_ good looking. Of course, I didn't miss when her heartbeat fluttered nervously as I mentioned that I thought Taylor was hot. She'd been worried about me going after him. I also didn't miss the way his eyes automatically sought her out as we sat by the lake. Something was going on between them.

Zach on the other hand was annoyingly sexy and he knew it. From the first moment we laid eyes on each other, he'd been coming on to me. He called me 'beautiful' and 'sexy' every chance he got. I was flattered, really. It had been a while since a man dared to shamelessly flirt with me. Zach wasn't afraid of me and he wasn't the least bit turned off when I flat-out shot him down in front of his friends. It was a new experience for me.

As his friends threw Bella and the girls into the lake, Zach swaggered over to sit beside me. "You know, you really hurt my feelings earlier." He feigned a hurt look but his hazel eyes betrayed his amusement. _Who is this guy?_

Rolling my eyes, I smirked, "Oh please, next you'll be telling me about your wounded soul." He threw his head back in a laugh, exposing perfect white teeth that gleamed against his russet skin.

"We'll have to spend some more time together before I tell you about my secret pain." Zach lay back on the blanket and placed his hands behind his head. I couldn't help but study his muscles.

Huffing in annoyance, I looked away. He probably stretched out on purpose, just so I could see how well defined his body was. What an egotistical buffoon, he was. "Forget it, evil spawn. Your charms won't work on me."

"I guess I'll have to pull out the big gun then." He sighed and my eyes wandered back toward the lake where Bella was having a splash fight with Taylor. Her eyes sparkled and her cheeks were slightly flushed as she swam away from him, leading him to playfully swim after her. Already I could see that he liked her. How Bella felt about him… though- that I wasn't sure about.

* * *

Obviously, Zach's idea of pulling out the big gun was to look unbelievably sexy in his cowboy getup. He looked mouth watering in his plaid, long sleeved shirt, wrangler jeans and biker boots. The man really knew how to make his assets work for him. I had to give him that much. Everything about him irritated yet intrigued me at the same time.

He clearly thought I looked good in the outfit Liz pushed on me. God, that girl had such a bossy streak in her and she could be really intimidating when she wanted to be. I watched as her and Ryan pawed each other out on the dance floor. I wouldn't have been surprised if they started having sex right then and there. God knows they already smelled like they wanted to.

I saw conflict on Bella's face when Taylor asked her to dance. She was clearly attracted to him but was having a hard time figuring out what to do about it. As they danced, I observed the way he held her in his arms and the fierce tenderness he gazed at her with. With a jolt, I realized that Taylor was irrevocably in love with Bella. Yet Bella, in true Bella-fashion, had her head up her ass. She owned that man heart and soul and she didn't even know it or maybe she didn't want to see it. They danced together like they were the only people in the room.

I turned Zach down when he asked me to dance. It was so annoying how he managed to make me feel all girly and stupid with that one question. It had been a long time since someone wanted to dance with me and I felt awkward. I'd been angry for so long that I didn't know how to be anything else. After he left to get us more drinks, Bella stumbled back to our table. Her dilated pupils and slightly slurred speech indicated that Bella was high as a kite. I expected her to back down when I dared her to ride the bull. Never did I think that Bella would take me seriously but she startled the hell out of me when she accepted my challenge. It was impressive to watch as she stomped off with a defiant twinkle in her eyes.

Zach and Taylor joined me back at our table just as I was getting ready to follow her.

"Where you going, sexy?" Zach set our tequila shots down on the table.

"Bella's gonna ride the bull." This I had to see.

"What?" Both men wore shocked expressions on their faces as they follow behind me. I guess no one wanted to miss the show.

By the time we got to the back, Bella was already on the bull being coached by the controller. "Okay, hold on with one hand and wave your free hand around to help you balance when the bull turns." Bella nodded. "Also, you should keep your thighs tense but your upper body relaxed. And don't worry, little lady. I'll go easy on you." Then he quickly made his way off the inflatable pad to stand behind the bull controls.

Bella tighten his grip on the bull and used her free hand to adjust the cowboy hat on her head. _She's really going to do this_, I thought in amazement. Looking around, I saw that Bella had drawn a crowd of onlookers… mostly male. Her jaw tightened with determination. Then Bella nodded her head, signaling that she was ready and slowly, the bull began to move. She leaned back as the head of the bull went down and leaned forward when the head came up. There were hoots and hollers as she sexily and slowly moved her body in time with the bull. I swiveled my head to see Zach looking on slack jawed. "Holy fuck, that's hot. She looks like she's having sex." He mumbled in fascination. Hell, even I was a little turned on by her.

Silently I cheered, _go drunk Bella, go drunk Bella, go!_ Where had this Bella been hiding herself? She was looking in our direction, sexily smiling and winking at someone. I turned to see, it was Taylor. She was actually flirting with him. Taylor's eyes blazed as he stared back at her. I could almost see the sparks flying between them. After what seemed like forever, but was only forty seconds, Bella lost her grip then slipped off. The crowd cheered as she giggled and made her way off the pad.

As she was making her way over to us, a middle-aged man slapped her on the ass. With lighting speed Bella had his two of his fingers painfully bent back as she growled dangerously, "Touch me like that again, old man. And you'll be left with stubs." She let go of his hand only after he nodded and continued on her merry way like nothing happened.

I couldn't get over what I'd just seen. When the hell did Bella get so bad ass? As she reached us, Taylor grabbed her and they were back on the dance floor dancing like they were glued to each other. I concluded that if Bella could be brave then so can I. Zach was astounded when I turned to him. "Come on, let's dance." I walked to the dance floor and Zach followed behind me like he'd won the war, when in reality he hadn't even begun to fight the battle. If he thought I was easy, he was in for a surprise.

Zach wrapped his hand around my waist and pulled me close to him. As we began to dance, I noticed Zach's hand inching their way down my back. Earlier tonight, Bella cautioned me about his roaming hands. "The hand that touches my ass will be the hand that gets broken." I warned and his hands conveniently stopped at the base of my spine.

"You can't blame a guy for trying." He shrugged and grinned lazily.

"Yes, I can." I huffed. _Pervert._

Of course, Zach just had to be a great dancer too. I hated admitting how attractive he was. A sexy smirk made its way to his face and I couldn't help but smile in return. Looking at Zach, I got the feeling that no one could stay mad at him for long. As he twirled me around the dance floor, I tried to remember the last time I'd enjoyed myself so much. I relaxed and let myself get lost in the music. Here, I had the chance to be myself and not the Leah that everyone back in La Push had become accustomed to. I was having a good time. So good that I was a little disappointed when it was time to leave.

Looking around, we found Ryan and Liz making out back at our table, Angela was dancing in a corner with Danny but Taylor and Bella were nowhere to be seen. I was so busy dancing with Zach, I couldn't remember the last time I saw them. _How long had they been missing?_ I picked up their scents leading out of the bar, so I told Zach to look for them in the bathrooms and I would check the back of the bar.

After Zach left, I followed their trail outside. The cool night air greeted me as I sniffed the air, trying to determine where they'd gone. I began to wonder if they'd decided to walk back to the house as their trails led in that direction and the house wasn't far away. Moments later, I found them a few buildings down at a tattoo parlor. Walking into the establishment, I wasn't prepared for what I'd see.

Usually, when you pictured a tattoo shop, you would envision a grungy, dirty environment with bad lighting. The place was surprisingly well-lit, clean looking and there was a tattooed receptionist sitting at a desk out front. She took one look at my cowgirl outfit and inquired, "You here for the cowboy couple?"

"Yeah. Where are they?" I knew where they were but for the sake of appearances, I asked anyway.

"They're getting inked in the back. You can head in." She went back to reading her magazine.

In the back room, Taylor was lying shirtless on a table while a tattooed man, who looked to be about in his forties, worked on his back. Bella was sitting on the other side of the room with her pants pulled down exposing her back while a woman, who I assumed to the man's wife, worked a tattooed onto her lower spine.

The man spared me a disinterested glance then went back to his work. His wife looked up from Bella's back and inquired, "Friends of yours?"

I mumbled, "Yeah." This was fucking awesome. Now Bella was getting a tattoo. It was so difficult to wrap my mind around the girl I'd seen clinging to a vampire two years ago and the woman before me who rode mechanical bulls, threatened men in bars, and got drunk and tattooed. This wasn't boring Bella anymore. This was her alter ego, Izzy.

Bella opened her hazy brown eyes. "Hi, Leah. I'm getting a tattoo."

"Yes, I can see that. Can I borrow your phone?" I needed to call Zach and I knew Bella would have his number. He was probably wondering where I was.

"Okay." She squeezed her cell out of the pants pocket then passed it to me.

As I walked out of the back room and into the lobby, I found Zach's number and dialed it.

Zach answered, "Izzy… where the hell are you?"

"Zach, it's me, Leah. I just wanted to let you know that I found Taylor and Bella. We're a few buildings down in a tattoo shop." I sat down in one of the chairs.

"What the hell are they doing there? Are they getting tattoos? Why didn't you stop them?" Zach asked with disbelief in his voice. Like me, a tattoo shop was the last place he'd expected to find them.

"When I got here they were already getting inked, so I figured I'd let them finish." _Besides, this will be so much fun when Bella sobers up tomorrow._

"Fine, I'll drive the others home then come back to get you guys…" Zach paused for a moment then shouted, "Angela, Liz get down from that table… Damn it, Ryan! Stop throwing money at them and help me." The call disconnected and I chuckled to myself. Bella really rolled with a rowdy gang.

I picked up one of the catalogues from the table and flipped through it. Maybe I would come back later and get another tattoo, something to piss Jacob off with.

Zach came through the door about twenty minutes later, looking exhausted. He collapsed into the chair next to me and sighed, "They still in there?"

"Yep." I noted that he was the only one what wasn't drunk or high. "So, how come you're not drunk like the rest of them?"

"I have a two drink limit." At my confused expression, he continued, "I never knew my dad but I was told he was a mean drunk, so I make it a point never to drink too much. Don't want to develop a problem later on in my life." That was really smart of him. Lots of kids with an alcoholic parent tended to develop drinking problems as adults. I concluded that there was more to Zach than met the eye. He turned to me with a devilish glint in his eyes. "Anyway, I think there are better things to get hooked on. Don't you think?" Zach's eyes then proceeded to wander up and down my body.

I sighed with frustration and rolled my eyes. Just when I was beginning to think that Zach was a decent guy underneath, he just had to ruin it. "Besides, I'd like to be sober when I check on Suzie Q tonight." Of course, he had a girlfriend. Why would someone who looked like Zach, be single? I could tell by the way he said her name that he cared about her a lot.

Trying to keep the disappointment out of my voice, I asked with false nonchalance, "So, you have a girlfriend?"

With surprise in his hazel eyes, he replied, "Girlfriend? No. Suzie Q's my pet python. I didn't want to leave her alone at the apartment, so I brought her up to the house with us."

Growing up in La Push, with the forest right in my back yard, I came into contact with lots of snakes. So, I'd never been fearful of them. I would never have pegged Zach as a snake lover but as I looked at him, I could understand it. Suzie Q was probably the only female he could really commit to.

I changed the topic. Gesturing to the back room, I asked, "Could you believe those two? Getting tattoos?"

Zach laughed, "It's about time those two cut loose and had some fun together."

I decided to cut to the chase. "So, how long has he been in love with her?"

"For as long as I've known him. I'm not surprised you picked up on that. Everybody can see how he feels about her except Izzy. We all know she has feelings for him too but…"

"Yeah, Bella has a history of lying to herself."

"I think she's afraid of getting hurt again. That Jacob guy really upset her with whatever he said in his phone call." Anger curled in my stomach causing me to frown. Zach misinterpreted my expression. "Look, I know you're probably friends with the guy but-."

I interjected, "He's not my friend." Jacob might have been my Alpha and brother but that didn't make us friends. We worked together, risked our lives for each other because we had an obligation and a duty to carry out. That was all, nothing more nothing less.

With slightly raised eyebrows, Zach continued. "Well, whatever he said, it upset her so much that she went on a weird baking spree. She wouldn't eat or sleep at all. We were all freaked out by it and didn't know what to do. Taylor was the one who snapped her out of it or made her snap herself out of it. I'm not sure."

Sitting back in my chair, I let myself soak in that bit of information. It seemed that Taylor was good for her. "Those two have been dancing around each other for two years and I'm sick of it. Christ, get on with it already." Poor Zach sounded so irritated.

"Hmm… Two years, huh?" How Bella managed to keep her panties on around these guys was beyond my understanding. It had been only one day and already I was fixated on a certain Native American. _What can I say?_ The guy was hot.

"I keep asking Taylor why he hasn't told her yet but he just says _he's waiting._ What the fuck's he waiting for? For Dillon Buchanon to move in on his girl?"

_Who the hell is Dillon Buchanon?_ Dang, Bella sure knew how to get the guys hot for her. Now if she'd only relax enough to let herself go, then maybe she could move on with Taylor. An evil thought suddenly occurred to me and I smiled mischievously. "I have an idea that might help move things along."

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**A/N:**Now before you guys start freaking out on me, no Carmen is **not** pregnant.

Jacob did something else stupid but I won't say anything else about it.

Hope you guys enjoyed hearing a little from the she-wolf.

For those of you that thought Leah would sleep with Zach, it's a bit too soon for that. My girl will make him work for it.

**Coming up next:**Bella remembers exactly what happened with Taylor, in startling detail.

She also remembers some strange things and sees her tattoo.

You know what to do if you want your chapter early. **Review!**


	29. Casper the Horny Ghost

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 29

I stared in shock and mounting horror at Taylor's sleeping form. His head was buried in the pillow, and his face was obscured by thick black hair. Rumpled blankets covered Taylor from the waist down, and I wondered if he was naked underneath. His well-muscled, light olive back had a bandage running down the center of his spine. _Did he injure himself last night?_ As I looked back at my body, I noticed that I wasn't wearing a shirt. _What the hell?_ My bra and jeans were still in place, but I was creeped out nonetheless as I had no recollection of last night.

In one ill conceived move, I quickly got to my feet and the room spun around me. I groaned in agony and clutched my head in my hands. After the pain had subsided a bit, I dared to raise my head to look around the room in a hunt for my missing shirt. I was baffled as my eyes took in the state of Taylor's room. His room looked like it had been hit by a tornado. There were clothes and shoes strewn about, not just on the floor but hanging from his dresser drawers. This was an abnormality for Taylor as he wasn't the type to throw his stuff all over the place.

As I fished my shirt out from under a lamp and dragged it on, I was alarmed to discover that there were no buttons on it. All of the buttons were missing, almost like they had been torn off. Holding my shirt closed, I walked, with the shaky legs of a newborn deer, around to Taylor's side of the bed. I wanted answers, and I was going to get them right now.

Eventually, I knew I would have to wake him, but first I had to find out if he was indeed naked under those blankets. With one trembling hand, I tugged a corner of the blanket loose and cautiously began to lift it. If he was naked then there would be hell to pay, but on the other hand, I couldn't help but be curious about what I'd see. A sigh of relief, tinged with a bit disappointment, escaped my lips when I discovered that he was still wearing his jeans. I felt a little ashamed of myself for peeping at a sleeping man. Maybe I was still drunk.

Just as I was about to release the blanket, one of Taylor hands shot up and wrapped around my wrist. I let out a small scream and jumped in surprise at his sudden movement. Taylor groaned and in a deep voice, still heavy with sleep, he mumbled, "Not so loud, woman."

He craned his head in my direction and cracked one eye open to look at me, "What are you doing in my room?"

Recovering from my consternation, I huffed, "That's what I wanted to ask you."

He blinked and opened both his eyes, taking in the hold I still had on his blanket. With raised eyebrows he asked, "What exactly were you hoping to see?"

My cheeks burned as I blurted defensively, "Nothing!" He cocked one eyebrow, indicating that he didn't believe me. "I just wanted to see if you had pants on." My blushed even harder when I realized how I sounded, like a pervert.

"And what would you have done if I was naked? Taken a picture?" A naughty smirk played on Taylor's lips. I was rendered speechless as a disconcerted blush burned my cheeks.

"If you wanted to see me naked all you had to do was ask." Taylor's laugh was cut off by a groan. He was obviously hung over too.

Unable to take his ribbing any longer, I wrenched my hand out of his grasp and he sat up. Obeying the urge to get off my feet, I sat down next to him. "All I know is that I woke up in here. Do you know what happened last night?"

"I know exactly what happened last night." He rubbed his eyes.

"You do? What?" I used both hands to hold my shirt close.

His face was devoid of any humor as he answered, "You got me drunk then took advantage of me."

I gasped and smacked his arm, "I did not."

"See. You still can't keep your hands off me. You have no self control. It's sad." He chuckled, and I couldn't help but laugh too as I'd finally figured out what he did.

Taylor took a potentially awkward and embarrassing situation and defused it by making jokes. He'd even manage to put me at ease, and given our current positions, that was no small feat. However, the light mood of the atmosphere changed as Taylor scanned his room. His face paled as his eyes took in the full extent of the mess.

He jumped to his feet, unsteadily. "You should go."

I stood up warily. "What's wrong?" I didn't understand why he was acting so strange all of a sudden.

He spoke hurriedly as he practically pushed me out the door. "Nothing's wrong, but you probably want to go get changed. Umm… I have to clean up." Then he closed the door in my face before I had the chance to say anything else.

_Jeez, what's his problem? _As I padded down the hall to my room, I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was just after ten in the morning. I opened my door to see that Leah was still asleep in our bed. I was annoyed as I stomped over to the bed. Leah was supposed to make sure I didn't do anything stupid last night. Some friend she was. _Heifer_.

"Ouch." The pain in my hand made me instantly regret my decision to smack Leah on the butt.

Leah rolled over and stretched languidly. "Well, look who's up." She sat up eying my shirt. "Looks like somebody got lucky last night." She held up her hands. "No need to thank me."

"What? Nothing happened. Wait…What did you do?" Placing my hands on my hips, I glared at her with suspicion.

"Hey, I didn't do a thing. You guys _wanted_ to go to bed together. So, Zach and I just let you; that's all we did." When my angry stare didn't disappear, she added, "I swear."

I allowed myself to relax. It would take up too much of my energy trying to stay mad at Leah, and I had better things to do, like taking a much needed bath to chase the fog away from my mind. I sighed, "Well, thank God nothing happened."

As I took off my shirt, a sneaky smile lit up Leah's face. "So, nothing happened, huh? Then who gave you those two hickeys, Casper the horny ghost?"

All the air whooshed out of my lungs and I ran to the mirror to look. A quick examination of my body confirmed what Leah said. There were two purple bruises, one on my neck and another on my chest. A small horrified scream made its way out of my mouth, and I spun around to face Leah. "Leah, please tell me you did this." My mind wasn't willing to accept the only other explanation.

Leah wrinkled her nose in mild disgust. "Hey, I like you and all, but I don't like you like _that_."

Burying my face in my hands, I groaned in embarrassment. "Oh my God." Taylor must have been the one to put those hickeys on me. Just how drunk were we last night?

"Good for you, hickeys and a tattoo." Leah cackled, clearly enjoying my mortification.

My head snapped up at the word tattoo. I turned back to the mirror and frantically searched my body. Leah sighed, rolled off the bed and came to stand behind me. She turned me around and lightly tapped the bandage on my lower back. Gently, Leah peeled off the bandage to reveal a strikingly beautiful, butterfly tattoo. The purple and pink butterfly was set between two branches of purple and black flowers.

Leah lightly traced the tattoo with her fingers. "Wow. That woman does incredibly detailed work."

I couldn't help but agree with Leah. It was a great tattoo, but it was a tattoo… on me. I wasn't aware that I stopped breathing until dizziness swept through my head. Leah must have seen I was on the verge of passing out, because she snapped her fingers in front of my face. "Hey… Breathe, Bella, come on breathe."

Air rushed into my lungs as I gasped for breath. After my lightheaded feeling passed, I asked Leah to tell me exactly what happened last night. I began having brief memory flashes as she filled me in, telling me about the bull riding, the sexy dancing with Taylor and the tattoo parlor. I remembered parts of what happened at the bar, tattoo parlor and singing _Tainted Love _at the top of my lungs on the ride back to the house. But I still couldn't remember what happened in Taylor's bedroom and how he gave me two hickeys.

"Why didn't you stop us?" I wailed.

Leah held up her hands in defense. "Hey, by the time I found you guys, they'd already started your tattoos. Relax. At least it's a cool tattoo and not a skull or something horrible. Do you know what your tattoo means?"

"No I don't. What does it mean?"

"Well, there are a bunch of meanings. A butterfly can mean rebirth and transformation. It can also mean a desire to settle down."

I felt an intense wave of sadness when I thought about settling down. I didn't think that would ever happen for me. Leah saw my despondency and sought to cheer me up. "Hey, don't look so sad. Do you remember what you said to me last night when I asked you why you got a tattoo?"

With a shake of my head, I answered no.

"You said you wanted to become someone different. You wanted to be stronger and take charge of your life. That you were tired of having bad shit happen to you and wanted to be fearless. I think you should be proud of yourself, Bella. Because for the first time in a long time, you're making choices for yourself based on what _you_ want and not because of Cullen or Jacob. So, I think you should see the tattoo as a good thing. A _brave_ thing." Holding me by the shoulders, Leah tried to reassure me.

A reluctant smile bloomed on my face, and I mumbled, "Thanks."

Leah turned her head away as I changed into my robe. "I desperately need a bath and some aspirin. Then I have to figure out what to do about these hickeys." I would look strange wearing a turtleneck sweater at the lake.

Apparently, Leah had an idea about how to solve my dilemma. "Oh, just apply a warm wash cloth to the hickey. Works every time." At my stunned expression, Leah smirked, "Hey, I was once a dirty girl too. You know?"

I gasped, "I am _not_ a dirty girl. I just had too much to drink, that's all."

"Yeah, _sure_. Whatever you say." Leah waved me off then mumbled '_dirty girl'_ under her breath. She laughed and ducked when I threw my pants at her. I then left the room to take my bath.

I was standing in the hallway just about to close my door when I saw Ryan enter Taylor's room. It wasn't my intention to snoop, but I couldn't resist slowing down as I passed his door on my way to the bathroom. I pressed my ear to the door and listened in.

Ryan's anxious voice commented, "Man, it looks like a bomb went off in here. And you say Izzy was in here last night when it happened?"

"Yeah and I want to know whose bright idea it was to put her in my room. She could have gotten hurt. I was counting on you to keep an eye on me. You know how my control gets when I'm drinking."

"Hey, don't blame me. My ass was passed out by then, and before that I was busy."

"Busy? Busy doing what?" Taylor asked with annoyance heavy in his voice.

"What do you think? Man, did you _see_ what your sister was _wearing_ last night? She-"

Taylor cut him off. "Ugh. Do not even bother to finish that sentence. I'm nauseous enough as is." I stifled a giggle. Taylor really set himself up for that one. It wasn't hard to figure out what Liz and Ryan were doing last night.

"By the way, what happened between you and Izzy last night?" I was sure Ryan had a ridiculous grin on his face at that moment.

"Nothing happened… I think. I passed out at some point, and I don't remember anything after the tattoo parlor." _Oh thank God for small mercies_. Taylor didn't remember giving me hickeys. The relief that flooded my body made me light headed again.

"Tattoo parlor? What the hell? Did you get a tattoo? Where is it?" Ryan rapidly fired off questions.

"I think it's somewhere on my back, but I haven't seen it yet."

There was a moment of silence then Ryan said, "Dude, that is a _sick_ tattoo. You say Izzy got one too?"

"Yes… I think so. Last night's still fuzzy though."

The sound of approaching footsteps alerted me that someone was coming, forcing me to scamper into the bathroom across the hall and close the door before anyone caught me eavesdropping. I went to the sink and washed down two aspirin pills with some water, in the hope that it would alleviate my headache. Grabbing a wash cloth from the shelf, I drenched it in hot water and pressed it to my hickeys. It only took about ten minutes for the marks to disappear, and I sighed with relief.

Turning on the shower, I removed my robe and hopped in. Sighing, I closed my eyes and allowed the cool water to cascade down my body. I could almost feel the alcohol from last night seeping out of my pores. As I grabbed the honey scented shower gel and began to pour some into my hand, memories of what happened in Taylor's bedroom struck me with mind-blowing strength.

_Taylor and I ran up the stairs laughing, staggering and shushing each other. Behind us, I heard Leah's voice as she fake warned us, "Oh, no. Don't go to bed together." She made absolutely no attempt to follow or stop us._

_We stumbled into Taylor's bedroom and shut the door behind us. Moonlight streamed through his bedroom window, illuminating the surface of everything it touched. From where I stood, I was able to see moon reflected on the still, dark water of the lake. Suddenly, I felt two strong hands grip me from behind, and I was pulled against Taylor's firm chest._

_One palm was pressed against my stomach while the other hand travelled down my side to grasp my hip. His breath was warm as his deep voice purred sexily in my ear, "Tell me you want me to touch you."_

_My heartbeat sped up rapidly and my mouth went dry. I wanted to answer him, but my mouth refused to the form words. I closed my eyes and moaned when his hand roughly grabbed my hip as he grinded himself into me. "I want to hear you say it, Isabella." He whispered huskily. My knees almost buckled when his tongue darted out, licking behind my ear._

_I tried to remember the reasons why we shouldn't be doing this, but in my drunken haze, my memory failed, and I whispered loud enough for him to hear me, "I want you to touch me." _

_Out of the corner of my eye, I caught movement in one of the dark corners of his room. But that thought vacated my mind the moment Taylor spun me around to face him, and I staggered which caused him to stagger also. Taylor and I were both so far gone. It was almost like we were two different people. We stared intently at each other, lost in the quiet intensity of the moment. _

_Taylor raised his hands, grabbed hold of my shirt and in one swift motion, ripped it open, sending buttons flying all over the room. Then he impatiently pulled my shirt off and tossed it away. His eyes hungrily devoured the sight of me in my lacy black bra. In my inebriated state, it didn't even occur to me to be self-conscious. Suddenly, I was hit with the need to see him too. It was only fair right? But the stupid shirt was in the way. So, I followed Taylor's lead and ripped his shirt off. _

_I stared in awe at the chest I'd admired from afar many times in the past. The view was even better up close. With both hands, I reached out and trailed the muscled contours of his amazingly sculpted chest with my fingertips. For a brief moment, I wondered why he even bothered to wear shirts or t-shirts at all. He'd be increasing the quality of life for women everywhere if he ever made the decision to abandon shirts forever. As my fingers slipped lower to examine the definition of his rock hard abs, I heard his breath catch in his throat. _

_Gazing up at Taylor's face, his burning eyes fixed me with a hungry almost feral look. The room spun and my mind barely had time to register movement before I felt the soft mattress pressing into my back. Taylor was lying between my legs, weight braced on his elbows. As Taylor lowered his face to mine with the intent to kiss me, I heard a noise next to the bed and I turned my head in that direction. The kiss that was intended for my mouth was planted on neck instead. The strange noise was completely forgotten, and I moaned when he parted his lips, gently sucking on the flesh of my neck. There was no room in my mind for rational thought as I completely surrendered myself to the delicious sensations Taylor was creating with his mouth. _

_Taylor released my neck and continued his assault on my chest. I ran my fingers through his thick hair and shuddered when he began to grind his hips into mine, allowing me to feel just how turned on he was. At that moment, I felt alive. True, it was drunken liveliness, but liveliness nonetheless. I was unbelievably turned on as he moved from my chest, kissing his way down my stomach. He hadn't even kissed me yet and already I was so close to the edge. I arched my back as he licked and kissed my belly button, moving lower still. Taylor abruptly stopped what he was doing. Pressing his head to my stomach, he groaned, "God, my head."_

_He then climbed off of me and rolled over on his back mumbling, "Rain check." Taylor then promptly passed out._

_As I lay next to him panting, my vision began to blur, and I followed Taylor into the land of unconsciousness._

When I snapped back to reality, I was still standing in the bathroom with the shower running. As I looked down at my hands, I found that I'd managed to halfway empty the shower gel bottle and there was gel running down my legs. My hands shook as I hurriedly put the bottle back on the shelf. I was absolutely mortified. We pawed at each other like horny teenagers. Taylor and I almost slept together last night. If he hadn't passed out when he did…

Briskly, I rubbed the shower gel into my skin. Not knowing what to do, I was beginning to freak out. I wasn't even sure if Taylor remembered what happened. He said he had no memories past the tattoo parlor, and I knew that was because he drank more alcohol than I did. My biggest worry was what I would do if he ever remembered what happened or almost happened between us. Would it change things between us? Did I want things to change between us?

Taylor acted like a completely different man last night. He was usually so relaxed and collected, but I got to see a different side of him. Beneath his calm exterior, lay a wildly passionate and unpredictable man. Underneath laid a real _McSteamy_.

Having finished my shower, I opened the door to see Taylor waiting outside the door. He was once again shirtless and with a towel carelessly thrown over his shoulder. Memories of running my hands over his chest crossed my mind, and I blushed, tightening my grip on my robe. I didn't know what to say to him.

Taylor misread my blush. "Please tell me you aren't freaking out about last night."

My heart sped up. _Oh God, does he remember? _"Umm…" Shifting awkwardly on my feet, I was unsure about what to say.

Taylor's brow creased with a slight frown. "Oh, come on. I thought we'd gotten passed this. Nothing happened. We still had clothes on, remember?"

_He really doesn't remember_. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so I settled for a hasty exit and retreated to the safety of my room. I had to talk to somebody about this, and Liz was out of the question.

* * *

**A/N: **Who will Bella confide in? What's up Taylor and his room?What do you think about Bella and Taylor's sexy time?

A link to Bella's tattoo is up on my profile.

**Coming up next:** Bella talks to someone about what happened and gets teased to hell.

Sam and Emily's wedding day arrives and Leah tries to deal.

More funny Leah/Zach interaction.

Decided to put this chapter up one day earlier for you guys.

If you want your chapter before next Thursday you know what to do.**Review!**


	30. Put some Spanish in me

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 30

"So, you say he doesn't remember anything at all?"

"Nope. Not a thing."

We were lying on blankets in the grass, out by the lake. I'd turned to Angela for a sympathetic ear after having been laughed at and teased by Leah for not, as she put it, being able to close the deal. I spent the better part of the morning blushing like an idiot every time Taylor spoke to me. Liz and Ryan kept shooting stupid, sneaky smiles at me, so I knew Ryan had opened his big mouth once again. Zach was much too preoccupied with chasing Leah to make any of his usual perverted remarks.

"Do you want him to remember?" Angela inquired gently, and our eyes noticed Leah sitting alone at the picnic table. She was watching Liz and Ryan kissing in the lake. Her eyes were sad and bitter as she watched them. I could identify with how she felt, and I too was envious of what they had.

I opened my mouth to say no, but then I decided to be honest. "I don't know."

"He likes you, you know? I can see that much." Angela commented, looking at me out of the corner of her eye.

I don't know why Angela's observation gave me a tiny thrill but it did. "I'm beginning to realize that."

"Do you like him?"

"What's not to like? He's…" My voice trailed off as I watched Taylor's form, effortlessly gliding through the water. I began again only to pause again, trying to think of all the things that made Taylor who he was. "He's…" _wonderful, talented, beautiful, sexy, sensitive, intelligent, funny as hell…_ "He's Taylor. But…"

"But what?" Angela prompted.

I sighed. "It wouldn't work out."

Angela was clearly annoyed as she rolled her eyes. "And why the hell not, Bella? Guys like Taylor don't come along every day. You could have something really special together."

"That's exactly why I can't date him." I turned to face her and lowered my voice. "There are things that I can never talk about, Angela. Secrets I could never tell anyone. How can I have a real relationship with anyone if I can't be honest?" In the corner of my eye I saw Leah turn her head slightly in our direction, so I knew she was listening.

Angela, being the astute woman that she was, chose not to question me about my secrets. "I guess I can see your point." Angela's furrowed brows created premature wrinkles on her forehead.

"Besides, I'm not looking for anything serious right now." _Or ever again._ My past experiences had taught me that there wouldn't be a happily ever after for me. Sooner or later something would come along to ruin things, and I just didn't have the courage to risk having my heart smashed again. I'd had enough of love kicking my ass.

Angela shook her head and cooed, "That's a shame because the girl that lands Taylor will be the luckiest girl in the world. That man's a keeper."

"Well then, if you think he's so great, why don't you ask him out?" I teased.

"Because I'm not the one he wants to bend over a table." Angela quipped.

"Angela!"

I heard Leah cackling at us over by the table. _Eavesdropping heifer. _

Just at that moment, Taylor came jogging out of the water Baywatch style, drawing Angela's and my complete attention. It was a beautiful sight. Rivulets of water ran down his well-sculpted chest and stomach. _Oh, to be one of those water drops right now_. His dark blue board shorts hung dangerously low on his hips, exposing his V-lines. Raising a strong muscular arm, he brushed his wet, black hair away from his face.

My stomach flip-flopped, and I mumbled in awe, "Good lord."

Angela was just as mesmerized as I was. "You said it, sister."

I was so caught up in my ogling that I didn't see when Leah had moved off the table to snag a spot on the blanket next to me, until she said, "The man's body is a work of art, Bella." I almost jumped out of my skin at the nearness of her voice.

"That's what I've been telling her. She should totally tap that." A wry grin lit up Angela's face.

My head swung in her direction. "Angela!"

Leah crossed one gloriously long leg over the other and smirked. "I bet he's real good in the sack too. Probably God-like even."

"Yeah, I can definitely see him being a tiger in bed. All rough and dominating." Angela then tried to imitate Taylor's voice with the Spanish accent. "He'd be like '_Bella, drop those panties, now_!'"

Leah laughed and added in a voice that was supposed to be mine, "_Yes, Taylor! I want you to put some Spanish in me_." They then broke into peals of laughter while I groaned in mortification. Oh God! Why me? I was beginning to regret telling them about what _almost_ happened last night.

Cheeks burning, my head turned back to Leah and I blurted, "Just shut it, Leah!" At the rate they were going I would have whiplash by the end of the day. The two bitches were tag teaming me. They were like two little she-devils sitting on my shoulders, trying to get me to do bad things. Preferably, to Taylor.

Having safely made it to shore, Taylor face broke into a smile as his piercing green eyes landed on me, and he waved. Redness engulfed my face as I waved back halfheartedly. He grabbed his towel off the grass and set off in the direction of the house. Just as Taylor disappeared into the house, Zach emerged holding Suzie Q in his hands. Zach's eyes lit up as they found Leah, and he made his way over to us.

He sat down next to Leah. "I'd like you to meet my Suzie Q." Instinctively, Angela and I shrank away to the edge of the blanket. We knew the snake wasn't dangerous. She was even kind of cute when she curled herself into a ball trying to hide. We just weren't that crazy about snakes in general.

Leah shocked the hell out of me as she complimented Suzie Q. "Wow, she has a beautiful color. Chocolate brown with a yellow underbelly. Gorgeous." Suzie Q turned her head in Leah's direction and flicked her tongue. Leah lifted a finger and gently stroked Suzie Q's head. I didn't know Leah was a snake lover.

Zach looked like a proud papa as he beamed at Leah. "Do you want to hold her?" _What?_ Zach never let anyone hold Suzie Q. This was a big freaking deal. Angela raised an eyebrow at me, and we both waited with bated breath for Leah's answer.

"Okay, sure." Leah replied, and I was bowled over. _What the hell is this?_ Leah was actually being somewhat nice to Zach and his snake when I'd actually expected her to toss them both in the lake. What the hell happened between them last night? Zach placed the snake on Leah's shoulders and Suzie Q quickly coiled herself around Leah's neck, imitating a weird necklace.

When Suzie stuck her head down Leah's shirt, Angela giggled, "I think she likes you, Leah." I couldn't help but giggle too. On a regular day, Leah could be as friendly as a rattle snake. So, I supposed Suzie Q might have recognized a bit of herself in Leah.

Zach grinned lecherously as he perused Leah's cleavage. "I think Suzie Q has the best ideas. I would love to trade places with her right now."

Rolling her amusement filled eyes; Leah gently uncoiled an overly curious Suzie Q from her neck and handed her back to Zach. Happy to be back with her owner, Suzie Q tightly wrapped herself around both of his hands.

Leah chose that moment to lean in close to Zach. Placing one hand on his leg and the other on his shoulder she asked in a low, sultry tone. "So, you think Suzie Q has the best ideas?" Leah looked like a captivating seductress as she smiled sexily.

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed thickly. In the same tone Leah asked breathlessly, "Do you really want to do what Suzie Q just did?" With glazed, hazel eyes Zach nodded as if hypnotized.

Allowing her hand to trail further up Zach's thigh, Leah leaned in close until she was a breath away from kissing him. Zach closed his eyes in response, savoring her closeness. Leah paused then whispered, "It's never gonna happen."

And with that said, she stood up and walked back toward the house, leaving me and Angela rolling around on the ground, practically hysterical with laughter. Meanwhile, Zach remained sitting in his spot staring after Leah's retreating figure with stars in his eyes. A look I've never seen on him before.

It was at that moment I realized that Zachery Grey had finally found his match and her name was Leah Clearwater. _God help us all._

Leah and Zach's interaction was hilarious to watch. He would use every opportunity he got to hit on Leah, and she would always put him in his place which was a good thing, because Zach could be such a tool sometimes. But the odd thing was that they both seemed to be enjoying their little battles. The air would sizzle with intensity around them as they argued. He even had an adorable little nickname for her. He called her Lee. The first time Zach did it, Ryan spit soda on Taylor which resulted in Taylor smacked him in the head. Zach was definitely crushing on Leah, big time. They were both sinfully attractive and seemed to balance each other out. I was already imagining the beautiful kids they would have together and they weren't even together yet. They would make the perfect couple, and I knew Leah would be able to keep Zach's wondering eye in check. That was, if Leah didn't murder Zach first.

I knew she was attracted to him even when she pretended not to be impressed by his muscles. Whenever Zach pranced around shirtless like a male peacock displaying its feathers in a ploy to snag a female, she would roll her eyes and even yawn. He would follow her around like a love-sick puppy and she would even… _shudder_… help him feed Suzie Q. Zach was good for her. Leah needed someone to make her laugh and remind her not to take herself too seriously. These days Leah definitely smiled more. And it was a beautiful thing to see as it transformed Leah's features making her even more alluring.

Here, Leah was a different person. She had the chance to be happy and start over again. But I knew she had to return to Washington in a few days. I wished she would stay and maybe even move to Hanover, but I understood that she had responsibilities and couldn't leave the pack right now. I wasn't looking forward to her going back. And now, having snagged Zach's undivided attention, I didn't think he looked forward to her leaving either.

* * *

The day of Sam and Emily's wedding rolled around, and I organized a small paintball war in the vain hope of keeping Leah's mind off of it. We were divided into two teams. Girls against boys. It might have seemed a little unfair if not for the fact that the girls had a secret weapon. Namely, Leah and her super hearing and smelling abilities.

Leah was like a real life mercenary, ruthless to the core. I told her this after she used Angela as a human shield and to take out Danny. She caught Liz and Ryan groping in some bushes and shot them both. Liz, she shot on the grounds of _treason_. Zach took at shot for Leah while protecting her from Taylor. Leah shot Zach again in the foot after he asked her how she planned to reward him for his _sacrifice_. Using me as bait, she shot Taylor after he shot me. It was safe to assume Leah was working out her aggression, but I knew she was enjoying herself also.

That night we sat in the grass outside and watched the lake in silence. Leah had been in a somber mood and didn't want to join the others in their ping pong game. Even Zach, sensing her melancholy, was keeping his distance. I knew Leah's mind was on Sam and Emily. They were probably dancing the night away at their reception right now. Laughing and looking into each others eyes with love; talking about their future together while Leah sat here alone probably feeling like a part of her heart had just been ripped out of her chest. It just didn't seem fair.

"You know, I was there when it happened." She picked up a stone and tossed it into the black, reflective surface of the lake creating ripples.

"When what happened?"

"I was there when Sam imprinted on Emily. It happened right in front of me."

"God, Leah." I murmured. At that moment, I couldn't think of anything more awful.

"I got to see the exact moment Sam fell in love with Emily. One minute I was introducing my fiancé to my cousin and best friend who I hadn't seen in years and the next…"Her voice trailed off as she slipped the hardened mask back on her face. It was the first I'd seen of it since her visit and I wasn't the least bit happy to see its return. "The next minute Sam's calling off our engagement and telling me that he's leaving me for my cousin." Her laugh was bitter and full of hurt.

_God, what a nightmare_. Once again I was grateful I wasn't there when Jacob met Carmen. Witnessing something like that would have destroyed me. There wasn't anything I could say to comfort her, so I wrapped my arm around her and lay my head on her shoulder instead.

"You do realize you're hugging me, right?" She made no attempt to move away.

"Oh shut it." I grumbled softly.

Leah leaned her head against mine. I knew all too soon, the day would come when I would need a hug from Leah. The day when Jacob married Carmen. I felt Leah's shoulder shake slightly, and I realized that she was crying or at least doing her best to hold back her tears. It wasn't long before my own tears made hot trails down my cheeks. We both shared the same pain.

After a moment, I pulled away, wiping at the tears on my face. "No, Leah. We're not doing this anymore. We've cried enough tears over those wolves to last a lifetime. I want us to make a pact." I was sick of it. Here we sat, crying over men who were not crying over us. I wasn't going to do it anymore.

Leah wiped the tears off her face with the back of her hand and asked, "A pact to do what?"

"Let's make a pact to never shed one more tear over Sam and Jacob. Deal?" I held my hand out.

Pausing for a moment to consider my proposal, Leah reached out and shook my hand. "Deal."

A slightly cold breeze rustled the tree leaves causing me to shiver a bit. My t-shirt was way too thin for this kind of night action. "Hey, you wanna head in now?" I pointed my thumb in the direction of the house.

Leah shook her head. "Nah. I think I'll hang out here for a bit. I'll be in a little later." She offered me a small smile. I knew things would be harder for Leah, having Emily and Sam shoved in her face and mind constantly would be a hard thing to get over.

"Okay, then." Deciding to give her some space, I stood up and walked back to the house. As I neared the porch steps I saw Zach and Taylor sitting next to each other at the bottom of the stairs. I wondered if they'd been there long enough to see our _moment._

Zach's eyes were filled with concern as he looked at Leah's lone figure sitting by the lake. "Is she all right?"

I couldn't believe what I was about to ask. "Zach, I need you to go over there and hit on my friend." Leah definitely needed some cheering up right now and Zach would be a great distraction.

"You're actually setting me loose?" He asked in disbelief.

"Easy, boy. I didn't say you could bring out Zach the lecher. Just be nice about it, okay? She's having a tough time."

_Zach the pervert_ receded back into the dingy depths of his mind. "Oh, okay." Maybe he really did like her. Zach pushed himself off stairs and set off in her direction while I took his spot next to Taylor.

Taylor wrapped an arm around my shoulder, and I leaned into his embrace. "Are _you_ okay?" His scent made me think of a Mediterranean island breeze, woodsy and aromatic.

Doing my best not to think of how good he smelled, I mumbled. "I will be." I wouldn't allow myself to keep living in the past. This was the only life I had, and I planned to get on with it. Letting go was not a _one and done_ thing. It was something you had to do over and over again.

* * *

**A/N:**That scene with Leah and Angela teasing Bella was so fun to write. So was the paintball craziness.

What do you think of Leah leaving Zach huffing and puffing?

**Coming up next:**Bella examines Taylor's tattoo up close and they have some fun together.

More Leah/Zach teasing.

Someone gets naked and a certain blue-eyed guy gives Bella a call.

If you want your chapter before next Thursday you know what to do.**Review!**


	31. Five Dollar Foot Long

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 31

I woke up with a curse on my lips having had a messed up nightmare where I was in a hospital. I couldn't remember all the details, but I think I might have been sick or someone I knew was sick. All I could remember was that it was so sad and awful. It was the kind of dream that left you feeling relieved upon waking. Turning my head to the side, I saw Leah was still asleep next to me. The she-wolf actually looked peaceful with her seemingly permanent scowl absent from her face. I remembered she told me one of the best parts about this vacation was her getting to sleep through the night. Even though she worried about Seth, she didn't miss patrolling in the wee hours of the morning. I couldn't say that I blamed her.

Sitting up, I debated whether or not to go back to sleep. The sun wasn't up yet, but the paleness of the sky indicated that sunrise wasn't far away. I decided to go for an early morning run and maybe explore the woods around the house before the others woke up. Rolling off the bed, I grabbed my sneakers and some clothes then went across the hall and into the bathroom to get changed. After using the bathroom and brushing my teeth, I changed into my usual jogging clothes. The floor boards creaked under my feet as I crept down the stairs of the quiet house.

Before leaving the house, I remembered to grab my cell phone and pulled my hair back into a sloppy ponytail. As I let myself out the backdoor and crossed the porch, I saw a figure sitting by the lake. It was Taylor, wearing his grey wife beater and black board shorts. He sat facing the water's edge with his back straight, legs crossed and his hands resting on them. _What is he doing?_

I crossed the distance between us; stopping a few feet away and greeted him softly. "Hey."

His shoulders jumped slightly as my voice startled him, and I experienced the slight, brief sensation of being pushed backward. It was an odd incident, and if it wasn't for the small ripples on the lake, I would have believed that I imagined the whole thing.

Taylor's head snapped around to look at me. For a second, I thought I saw a bit of fear in his eyes, but then it vanished and he smiled. "Hey, what are you doing up so early?"

"Just about to go on my morning run." I frowned slightly as I looked around for the source of the push. "What are you doing out here?"

His eyes darted away slightly before returning to my face. "I was just meditating."

He didn't lie, but at the same time he wasn't telling me the whole truth. I decided to let the subject of what he was really doing drop. "You meditate?"

"Yeah, I've been doing it for years. It's…helpful." There it was again. He wasn't telling me everything.

Turning to go, I replied, "Well, I'll leave you to it then."

I took two steps before Taylor asked, "Do you want some company?"

"Yeah, okay." I really didn't mind as I'd been kind of distant with him ever since the _incident_. I missed our walks and odd conversations.

We found a trail in the trees next to the house and followed it. Dried leaves crunched under our sneakers and a comfortable silence fell between us. It was almost as if the noisy world had fallen away and we were the only two people left in it. For a brief moment all of my past misery and angst were swept away, and I was left with a hopeful feeling. A feeling of a fresh, new beginning.

Shoving a hand in my pocket, I spared a glance at Taylor. Black hair fell into his eyes as he stared at the dirt path in front of us, lost in thought. For the first time, I wished I had Edward's mind reading ability. I wouldn't have minded having a small peek into his mind. Taylor was such a mystery to me.

Almost as if he felt my gaze his head shifted to look at me inquiringly. "What?"

"Nothing." Quickly, I averted my eyes. _Crap! He caught me staring at him._

"Was there some reason why you were molesting me with your eyes?" He asked while flashing me a teasing smile.

At a loss for words, I sputtered, "M-molesting you?" The sound of his laughter greeted my ears and I blushed. "I was not-"

He cut me off laughingly, "Whatever you say."

_Jerk!_ I huffed silently. I cursed his ability to fluster me so easily. In an attempt to lead the conversation, I asked, "Where did you learn to cook?"

His eyebrows rose slightly in surprise, at the change in topic. "Our housekeeper, Sophia, taught me."

"Really?" As I looked at him, a light breeze ruffled his hair.

"Yeah, when I was a kid my father was very paranoid about my safety, so I ended up spending a lot of time at home." Taylor's face darkened when he mentioned his father until he realized what he'd done. He'd told me more than he meant to. But I wouldn't push him about why his dad was worried about his safety. I wondered if it had anything to do with his ability. Maybe his Dad was worried about people finding out.

When he understood that I wasn't about to press him, he continued, "My father was none too pleased to discover I was spending my free time in Sophia's kitchen. So, he brought in a music tutor to keep me occupied."

"So is the guitar the only instrument you know how to play?" I questioned curiously.

"No, I can also play bass guitar and the piano." A proud grin grew on his face.

Grinning back, I commented, "I bet your Dad was really proud when you told him you were majoring in Music."

An angry scowl marred his face. "You would think so, but no he wasn't. When I told him the news his exact words were '_That's just perfect. You can have a career as a bum living under a freeway_.'"

"What's wrong with a music career?" I didn't see what the big deal was. Taylor was clearly talented. He would definitely go places.

"Oh, don't you know? Us Reeds are supposed to be high powered senior executives and work 80 hours a week." Taylor said with sarcasm dripping from his every word. I was grateful for Renee and Charlie at that moment. As long as I wasn't breaking any laws and was happy, they didn't care what I did for a living.

We ambled along the path in silence until I asked him, "Do you know what you want to do after school?"

"Actually, I was thinking about teaching, being a music teacher," Taylor admitted.

"Yeah?" Leaves rustled as a cool morning breeze blew through them.

"Yeah, I think I'd be good at it." Silently, I agreed. Taylor had the skill and patience required to make a great teacher.

"You're sure you don't want to be a rock star with millions of adoring fans?" I teased. I could totally see him up on stage with an endless supply of fans (mostly women) screaming as they threw their underwear at him.

Taylor looked exhausted as he sighed, "My life is hard enough as it is. I don't want to make millions, and I don't want to be famous. I just want a simple, ordinary life. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I do." I was tired of mythical and magical. Simple and ordinary sounded just fine to me.

I knew exactly how he felt. We smiled at each other in understanding then I had to tear my eyes away because once again, we were having another of our '_I see you'_ moments.

The dirt path that we were on, led us to a cliff on the other side of the lake. On the other side of the lake, sunrise was slowly unfolding. Together, we watched as the streaks of golden light lit up the sky casting its brilliant rays over the lake. It was a breathtaking scene.

In awe of the picturesque setting before me, I mumbled, "Beautiful."

"Yeah, beautiful." Something in Taylor's voice made me look at him. He wasn't looking at the sunrise; he was looking at… _me_. And of course, right on cue I blushed. As I looked away in embarrassment, I pushed wisps of hair away from my face.

Taylor's demeanor suddenly changed as he looked down at the lake. "Come on, let's jump."

My head snapped in his direction and I asked in disbelief. "Are you insane?" It was a long way down and it seemed kind of dangerous.

"Oh, come on, Izzy. Where's your sense of adventure, thrill seeker?" Taylor asked while tossing me a playful smirk.

"It's still asleep back at the house." I groused and Taylor laughed. "Have you ever watched a show called river monsters?"

"Yeah, the ones with the giant stingrays and piranhas, right?"

I nodded. "Right. There could be a giant monster lurking in the water, just waiting for some stupid college kids to snack on."

"But this is a lake, not a river." Taylor tried to use reason.

"Lakes and rivers are cousins." I refused to be mollified.

Laughing at my ridiculousness, Taylor prodded, "Are you jumping or not?"

When I woke up this morning, I hadn't planned on jumping off a cliff. The last time I'd done this… No, this time I would be jumping for me. This would be about me and not Edward.

Taylor seemed surprised when I agreed quickly, "Let's do it."

As I began to undress, Taylor asked, "What are you doing?"

"Well, I can't very well swim in my hoodie and sneakers. Can I?" Continuing to undress, I decided to leave my shorts on. I felt goose bumps on my flesh as it was exposed to the crisp morning air. I didn't feel awkward in my blue bra since I'd been wearing a bikini everyday for the past week. I was quite sure that Taylor had seen it all before. "We'll just have to come back for my stuff."

Pulling off his wife beater and sneakers, Taylor replied, "Okay."

As Taylor turned his back to me to place his clothes on the ground, I noticed his tattoo on his back. Before, I'd only been able to look from afar, but up close I was able to see it more clearly. Everyday Leah, Angela and I would gather on the grass by the lake, waiting for the moment when Taylor would take off his shirt so we could ogle him. Leah said his tattoo sent his sex appeal through the roof, and I agreed with her. It made him even more alluring, if it was possible.

Almost as if my hand had a mind of its own, I reached out and traced the intricate design with my fingertips. At my touch, Taylor stilled his movements and allowed me to explore his broad back. I followed the flowing path of the tattoo down his down his spine to where it ended.

"Do you know what your tattoo means?" I asked just for the sake of asking.

"I was just hoping it wasn't a symbol for giant asshole." Taylor laughed lightly.

Leah told me the woman at the parlor explained its meaning to her. "It means incredible strength and power."

Taylor seemed to freeze when I said this. His tone sounded slightly bitter as he mumbled softly, "Well, isn't that fitting."

In a seamless and unexpected move, Taylor spun me around. Our positions were reversed as he stroked the tattoo on my lower back.

In a lowered voice, Taylor inquired, "What does yours mean?"

His fingers were creating tingles on my skin, making it hard to think, "It… um means… change or transformation." _Oh hell, what is he doing?_

"Really?" The fingers on my back stopped their exploring, and he stepped closer.

My throat went dry and I could feel the heat of his nearness on my back. "Uh huh," I mumbled breathlessly.

He might not have remembered what happened between us the other night but I did. And it confused me, because I didn't know what I really wanted. To be honest, I did think about what it would be like to kiss him. Even though I tried not to let myself get caught up in those kinds of thoughts, every now and again one of them would slip through and… I would wonder what it would feel like.

_Aw, hell_. Mentally, I kicked myself in head. I couldn't do this, not with Liz's brother. I couldn't believe what I was thinking about. Maybe Zach was right. Maybe I needed to get laid. That could be the reason my body went haywire every time he touched me. I really needed to start dating. Liz sure as hell would not appreciate me using her brother to scratch an ever growing itch. And Taylor seemed to be the commitment type of guy, and I wasn't looking for a serious relationship.

Repeating the words, _Liz's brother_ over and over in my head like a mantra, I stepped away from him and looked down at the lake below. Maybe a cool dip in the lake was exactly what I needed right now. Help get my overheated hormones under control.

"Are you ready?" I didn't need to look at his face to know there would be disappointment on it. It couldn't be helped. Disappointment was better than me breaking his heart when he discovered what I already knew. It wouldn't work out, because it never does. Not for me.

"Yeah, I'm ready." He reached out and held my hand in his. He smiled gently, and I knew he understood without my needing to say the words.

Then hand in hand, we jumped off the cliff and into the cool waters below. There was a loud splash as we hit the water feet first. Then, still holding my hand, Taylor swam us to the surface. As our heads broke the surface, I took a deep breath inhaling the fresh clean air. I felt so exhilarated and purged. This time I jumped off a cliff for me, because I wanted to.

Water sprayed in my direction as Taylor flung his wet hair from his face. For a brief moment I entertained a ridiculous thought. I wondered if Taylor possessed the ability to turn into a merman. It made sense, seeing how much he loved the water and was a strong swimmer. Then I began to wonder what sex would be like with a merman. _Did mermen even have penises?_

I must have spaced out because Taylor splashed water at me. "Did you hear what I said, Izzy?"

I brought my mind back to the present. "Sorry… what?"

He pointed toward the shore. "Let's head back to shore and grab our clothes."

We swam back to shore and my merman idea was ruined as he stood up and walked out of the water. _No tail but he had thighs that could crack walnuts_. I thought as I stared at his strong legs. Taylor turned around before I could look away. "Really, if you don't stop staring at my ass, I'll start to feel violated."

_Now that he mentioned it, he did have a nice ass._ Face flushed, I snapped defensively, "Wipe that smirk off your face. I was not staring at your-"

He cut me off, giving me his _all knowing _smile that always annoyed the hell out of me. "Whatever you say."

He laughingly dodged the small twig I threw at him.

* * *

It was the day before Leah was due to fly back to Washington and we were trying to get a barbeque going out by the lake. Well… Ryan was attempting to barbeque, Zach was showing of his diving skills for Leah, Angela and Liz sat by the picnic table chatting while I _assisted_ Taylor as he tried to start a fire.

I wasn't much help as I was deliberately getting in his way and poking fun at him. He refused to use matches insisting that when he was a boy scout he didn't need them.

As he unsuccessfully rubbed two sticks together, I teased, "Really, Taylor? Sticks? Is that the best you got? Why don't you just use matches?"

"Real men don't need matches to start fires, woman."

"I'll remember you said that the next time I see you lighting the stove with some."

He cursed when the sticks broke and tossed them away in frustration. "Aw, to hell with this." He then dug in his pockets and removed some matches the lit the fire.

"Wow, a real lord of the flames. You're such a mountain man." I reached my hand out and flicked my finger at the stubble on his chin.

"I'll show you mountain man." Taylor quickly grabbed my arm, pulled me onto his lap. He wrapped me in a bear hug then proceeded to rub his stubbly chin all over my face while I giggled and struggled in vain to get away.

Warm breath tickled my neck before I heard Ryan shout, "Hey, you two. Fall in love on your own time. I need some help over here, Taylor."

In all honesty, Ryan did need the help. The last time he barbequed for us we ended up with badly charred and half cooked meat. But he didn't have to yell that love crap. We were just playing around.

We halted in our tussle and red-faced, I removed myself from Taylor's lap. I glared at a grinning Ryan as I made my way over to the picnic table. As I sat next to Liz she eyed me with raised eyebrows. "What?"

"Nothing. I have absolutely nothing to say." Liz said while Angela's body shook with silent laughter. I allowed myself to relax thinking that she would let the subject drop, but I was wrong. "You know Taylor's only like that with you, right?"

"Like what?" I queried._ Just where the hell is she going with this?_

"I'm talking about the laughing and teasing thing you two do. He's never done that with anyone else." I frowned at her, and she quickly raised her hands defensively. "That's all I'm saying."

_What the hell, Liz? Do you want me to ruin your brother? _I chose not to comment as I watched him try to help Ryan produce some edible burgers for us to eat. Our attention was drawn by Zach's hollering, "Leah! Come back here!"

We turned our heads in time to see Leah running out of the lake in her daisy dukes and bikini bra, waving Zach's shorts in her right hand. Apparently, in his attempt to impress Leah with his diving prowess, he lost his shorts. Then Leah grabbed them before he had the chance to slip them back on. Leah stood on the shore, dangling his shorts in a teasing manner. She let out an evil cackle, and I couldn't help but smile in return. The sound of her laugh, though it was at Zach's expense, warmed my heart.

"Now let's see. What can you offer me in return for your pants?" Leah tapped her chin in false contemplation.

Zach stood up and the water reached his waist. "Oh? So that's how you wanna play it?" Zach raised an eyebrow. "Listen here, Lee. Here's one important thing you should know about me." He took one step then another. "Nobody and I mean _nobody_ blackmails Zachary Gray."

Zach then sauntered out of the water _ass naked_. He stood feet planted, hands on his hips with a smug grin on his face. The only thing missing from his Superman pose was the cape and well… the suit.

I heard Angela murmur, "Have mercy." All of our eyes were glued to the reason Zach was so cocky. _No pun intended_.

"Well, the water is definitely _not_ cold. I'll say that much." Liz snickered softly while I raised a hand to cover my eyes. Subsequently, I peeked around my fingers trying to satisfy my perverted curiosity. Drops of water dripped from his hair then rolled down his pectorals. We watched as the drops continued their journey down his toned torso to his… _Oh Lord_.

Ryan grumbled, "Motherfuc-" He stomped across to where Leah stood paralyzed and snatched the shorts from her hand, throwing it at Zach. "Not in front of my girl, man. Cover your shit."

Ryan looked over to where we sat gawking and snapped, "Stop looking."

We quickly averted our eyes, and I slapped Angela's hands away when she reached for my cell phone, probably wanting to take a picture of Zach's naked glory. Leah didn't look away though. She and Zach were in some sort of staring contest as they fought their battle of the sexes. They were obviously having some sort of silent exchange. I knew she didn't expect Zach to just show his junk off like that. He'd taken Leah up on her challenge, and I knew she was impressed with his _cojones_.

"Zach sure has a big-" Ryan cleared his throat loudly then glared, resulting in Liz finishing lamely. "…ego."

We broke into a fit of giggles as Angela softly sang _five dollar foot long_. Having proven whatever point he was trying to make, Zach slipped on his soaking wet shorts and headed to where his towel lay in the grass. As he passed Leah, he let his fingertips trail along her back, and I thought I detected a shiver in her frame. But it all happened so fast I couldn't be sure what I had just witnessed. Zach looked smugly satisfied as he grabbed his towel and did his _I'm so hot_ strut to the house. From what we just saw, Zach was allowed to gloat.

Leah strolled over to sat we sat and filled the space next to Angela. "Well, you certainly got an eyeful. Huh, Leah?" Liz teased. She was definitely rooting for a Leah/Zach hookup, saying that their vibes screamed that they were hot for each other.

"He thinks he's _so_ irresistible." Leah lamented, but the corners her mouth turned up in a small smile then faded. Leah and Zach were provoking each other, pushing to see where the other's limits were, and she was having the time of her life. Zach's message was clear. The ball or balls were in Leah's court. She would have to decide what to do with them, it… _crap, my cheeks are burning again_.

My cell phone ring tone, _Sex on Fire,_ played and broke me out of my musings. Upon hearing my ring tone, Leah smirked. Probably remembering why I loved that song so much now. I snatched it up, flipped it open and looked at the screen. _My favorite blue eyed guy._

I answered with a smile, "Hi, Dillon." Leah's ears perked up at the mention of Dillon's name. A panoramic scan confirmed that everyone was listening in on my conversation. _What the hell?_

His deep, eternally jovial voice came through the phone. "Hi, beautiful. How's my girl?"

I smiled and rolled my eyes at his _my girl_ comment. "I'm cool. Are you back in town?" Dillon and some of his friends spent their summer in Vegas. Gambling and high stakes poker was his idea of a relaxing vacation.

"You know it. And I was thinking I'd like to see you tonight." _Still angling for that date, Dillon?_

"Well… I don't know. We're taking a friend to Jimmy's bar tonight to celebrate her last night in town." I replied, making it clear that I wouldn't be there by myself. If Dillon wanted to see me then he would have to make nice with my friends.

I heard the smile in Dillon's voice. "Jimmy's huh? It's cool, I know where it is. I'll swing by with a few friends. See you in a few hours. Bye."

"Bye." I flipped my phone close, and Liz practically attacked me for information.

"Will Dillon be at the bar tonight?" Her green eyes brimmed with excitement as she tapped her fingers on the table.

"Yeah, looks like it." I muttered and snuck a peek over to where Taylor stood by the grill. His shoulders were tense and movements abrupt as he stabbed at the burgers. I figured he was mad at me for inviting Dillon to the bar tonight.

"So I'll finally get to meet this Dillon character." Leah surmised as she eyed Taylor with a calculating look in her eyes.

I had no idea how the night would turn out. If I'd received any prior warning, I think I might have chosen to stay home instead.

* * *

**A/N: **So we got to learn a bit more about Taylor.

What do you think of Leah and Zach's naked face-off?

The image of Taylor's tattoo is up, so check it out. Remember,it's the one in the middle of his back.

**Coming up next:** The gang is back for a fun night at the bar.

We'll meet Bella's arch enemy.

Dillon and some friends make an appearance.

Bella gets jealous and someone gets asked out.

I'm thinking about giving you guys an early Monday update.

Let me know if you guys would prefer to wait until Thursday or not.


	32. Girls Gone Wild

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 32

Later that night, the girls piled into my car and drove to Jimmy's Bar singing _Famous Last Words_ at the top of our lungs. Even Leah started singing after we coaxed her, feeling more and more confident and comfortable around us.

Grinning enthusiastically from her place in the driver seat, Liz cheered, "Atta, girl!" She then joined us in our slightly off-key singing/shouting, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel.

_I am not afraid to keep on living,_

_I am not afraid to walk this world alone!_

The boys followed behind us in Ryan's car. We were dressed to the nines in our skinny jeans and boots. As this was Leah's last night with us we planned to get crazy and have loads of fun. I wanted her to have some good memories to help with the pain the next time she saw Sam and Emily together in their newly-wedded bliss.

After parking the car, we got out then strolled into the bar. The place was so crowded, that we had trouble finding an empty table. But after a few moments we were able to locate one in the corner of the room. The boys managed to find some extra unoccupied chairs, pulling them to our table.

As Liz plopped herself on Ryan's lap, I decided to go sit in the chair next to them. Zach mistakenly assumed I was about to sit in the empty chair between Taylor and Leah, then _accidentally_ bumped me out of the way. I fell sideways landing on Taylor's lap. In an attempt to steady me, one of Taylor's hands gripped my thigh while the other found a place on the naked skin of my back. He said nothing as he ran his blazing eyes over my outfit, making me blush in the process.

Seeing where I'd landed, Zach issued an insincere apology around his wide grin. "Oops. I'm real sorry, Izzy."

With all the dignity I could muster, I carefully removed myself from Taylor's lap, mumbling sorry. Making sure to step on Zach's foot on my way to my seat, I was rewarded with his painful hiss. _Sorry my ass._

After I'd deposited myself in my seat, we spent the next hour or so drinking, talking and laughing. Liz nudged me with her foot under the table. When I looked at her in silent inquiry, she inclined her head in Leah and Zach's direction. Turning my head, I observed their body language. Zach's hand was thrown over the back of Leah's chair with his fingers tracing lazy circles on her bare shoulder. Meanwhile, Leah was leaning in close to listen to what he was saying. I knew damn well Leah would have been able to hear Zach from across the bar. So her position was a good sign. I turned back to Liz with a knowing smile on my lips. I was expecting to sleep alone tonight. Good for Leah, she deserved to have a good time.

Making sure to keep my eyes on the table, I raised my glass to my lips and took a sip of my Kamikaze. Once again I could feel Taylor's eyes boring into me from across the table. _Oh hell, not again._ His intense stare made me feel even more naked in my red, low cut, cleavage showing halter top. Liz insisted I wear it to show off my _sextacular_ tattoo. _Her words not mine_. I didn't mind so much. I was actually proud of my tattoo and looked at it as a step away from my former self. It made me feel powerful and brave, like I could do anything.

Finally, I lifted my gaze to look at him. Taylor lounged back in his chair looking completely relaxed. His grey t-shirt peeked out from under his black leather jacket making him look like the ultimate bad boy. Thick, black hair fell into his piercing green eyes that languidly traveled from my cleavage to my face. When those eyes locked onto mine, I knew he was telling me, without words, that he was enjoying the view. He took a swig from his bottle without removing his eyes from me, and I whined inwardly, _why does he always have to look so good?_ I was grateful for having extracted a promise from Leah that, no matter how drunk I got, I would wake up alone tomorrow. Deep inside, I knew that the next time I woke up in Taylor Reed's bed, I would be ass naked. I was already nursing a buzz, and anticipating another wild night.

Suddenly, Taylor tore his gaze from mine to look at something behind me. To someone who didn't know him, the changes in his moods were hard to detect. But I noticed the slight narrowing of his eyes and the tightening of his jaw. Taylor was annoyed, and I knew there was one person he made that face for. A glance at Liz's smirking expression was enough to confirm my suspicions. Dillon Buchanon had spotted me and was currently on his way over to our table.

I heard his deep voice behind me, "How's my girl?"

Next to me, Ryan muttered softly, _his girl?_ From her place on his lap, Liz shushed him gently.

Turning around in my chair, I smiled in response. "When I see her, I'll be sure to ask her." My comment elicited a few laughs. Some were smothered laughs while others were outright. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where the loud laughs came from. Over the past two years, the guys never warmed up to Dillon.

Dillon smiled, completely unfazed by my reply as he was used to my particular brand of humor. Taking Dillon's outstretched hand, I allowed him to pull me off my seat and wrap me in a hug. I pulled away and introduced him to Leah and Angela. "Dillon, you know the guys. I'd like you to meet my friends Leah and Angela."

Dillon tore his gaze away from my body and grinned, "Nice to meet you girls."

Leah wrinkled her nose slightly, mumbling a brief hello. I knew what that meant. She didn't like him. I wondered if her dislike had anything to do with something Zach said might have about Dillon. Angela cocked an eyebrow and smiled softly, "Nice to meet you." At least she was willing to give him a shot before making up her mind.

Ignoring the chilly reception he received from the guys, Dillon gestured to a table on the other end of the bar. "Come say hello to the guys."

I didn't want to be rude, but I also didn't really want to leave my friends. Seeing my hesitation, Liz interjected, "It's cool, Izzy. We'll see you later." This earned her disapproving glares from Ryan and Zach. Taylor remained silent, looking at Dillon with slightly hardened features. Dillon's blue eyes glinted as he stared back at Taylor with a male challenge flashing in his eyes. _What the hell's going on with them?_

"Okay, I'll be right back." Dillon's smile was one of pure satisfaction as he placed his hand on my back and led me across to his table where two of his closest friends sat.

Slipping into the chair next to Dillon, I greeted his friends. "Hey, Brad. Hi, Preston." Preston raised his glass in silent acknowledgement while Brad looked me over with his brown eyes.

"Wow, Izzy. It's nice to see the girls out tonight." He perused my breasts while giving me his patented, panty dropping grin that he used to lure women in. Whenever his grin failed to work, he wasn't above using his money to impress women. Brad only flirted with women who he considered to be worth his time, but he must have been drunk to openly ogle me in front of Dillon. There'd always been a silent rule between Dillon and his friends that none of them would ever hit on me and thus, I was to be treated as if I were already Dillon's girlfriend.

Dillon bristled and snapped, "Why don't you save it for Muffy? I think I saw her in the crowd tonight."

At the mention of Muffy's name, Brad scowled. "That was a low blow." Muffy and Brad dated in their freshman year of college until she dumped him for a guy with a larger trust fund. He wasn't in love with Muffy, but her rejection damaged his over inflated ego considerably.

Preston, forever the peacemaker, decided to interrupt before an argument ensued. "Gentlemen, I think you should relax. Dillon, you know how Brad gets when he's drinking. Besides, there are much better things for you to occupy your time with." Preston fixed me with a smile as he said the last part, and I understood why women chased him. Preston had the look of a bored aristocrat and someone who'd seen it all, done it all. He usually held himself aloof from everyone else, but once he decided to pay attention to you, _watch out_.

Having decided that his friends were being a bit too friendly to me, Dillon guided me to the dance floor. He placed his hands on my waist and pulled me to him as we began to dance. _Hmm…_ Dillon wasn't a bad dancer at all. He ran his fingers through my freshly straighten hair, pausing to tuck some behind my ear. "Your hair looks nice." Dillon leaned in close, blowing warm air as whispered in my ear. "By the way, that tattoo is so fucking hot." He smiled sexily; turning on the Dillon Buchanon charm he was famous around campus for.

My cheeks burned as he lightly skimmed his fingers across the exposed skin on my lower back. A small part of me was embarrassed, until I realized that a golden opportunity had presented itself in the form of a handsome, blue-eyed man. This was my chance to get on and move forward with my life. Dillon was perfect for me because he wasn't the serious commitment type of guy. Our relationship would have no future as Dillon only had one more year of college left. And he just might be what I needed to keep me from pawing a certain Spanish man.

I lifted my gaze with the intention of saying thanks, but instead I blurted, "Would you like to go out with me!" _Crap! Way to go. Now he thinks I have verbal diarrhea._

Dillon's face was a mixture of disbelief and surprise. He'd been chasing me for two years with no success. But here I was, taking the initiative and asking him out. I bit my lip nervously, tasting my cherry flavored lip gloss. This was my first time asking a guy out, and already I was convinced I'd screwed it up horribly.

Just as I was about to open my mouth to say never mind, Dillon quickly recovered, "When?"

I paused in contemplation for a moment. I hadn't planned that far ahead. Leah was heading back tomorrow. Angela was leaving the day after, and the fall semester was due to commence in four days. "How about next Friday?"

"Friday sounds perfect. I'll make the necessary arrangements." He grinned confidently. _Arrangements? What the hell?_

Deciding to stop him before he went overboard, I cautioned, "Hey, try not to get too carried away, Dillon. It's just a date."

With raised eyebrows, Dillon replied, "Just a date? Oh no. I've been looking forward to this for two years now. If we're gonna do this, then we're gonna do this right."

"Okay," I answered slowly. It wasn't a big deal to me what we did on our date, but if it meant so much to him, then whatever.

Dillon's blue eyes sparkled as he held me closer to him. My mind wandered to my friends. Liz would be ecstatic when she found out about my upcoming date, but I was worried about the guys' reaction. Taylor's in particular. I knew he would be less than pleased that I was going out with Dillon, but he would have to get over it. I'd established a few rules for myself, and one of them was never to sleep with my friends. Crossing that line would mess things up between us, and I was fine with things the way they were. Plus to be honest, Taylor was much too important to me to just have _fun_ with like that.

Our dance was interrupted by Liz. "Hey, you guys. Can I cut in?"

Dillon frowned in confusion. Like me, he was befuddled as to why Liz would want to dance with him. Moving away from Dillon, I told him, "It's all right, go ahead."

Liz laughed at me as if to say, _oh no, you silly girl_. "No, I'm here to dance with you, Izzy."

Dillon appeared intrigued as he stepped away from us. "Well, this is one time I'm not upset someone cut in while I was dancing with a beautiful woman." He slinked off to the side to watch us dance. I bit back a sigh. _Every man's fantasy._

She then took Dillon's place, wrapping her arms around me, just as _Disturbia_ began to play. Liz turned me around, placing my back to her front, then started dancing to the beat. Following her lead, I began to sway my body to the music. I turned my head to the side and asked, "What's your deal, Liz?" I knew that she wouldn't interrupt my dancing with Dillon for nothing.

Leaning in close to my ear, Liz said, "Guess who's here tonight."

"Who?" I probed.

"Amber Hodge, that's who." _Ah hell,_ our archenemy.

Dartmouth definitely had its share of rich, stuck-up bitches, and Amber Hodge was the queen of them all. Amber and her minions were also from Beverly Hills and attended the same academy as Dillon. According to him, Amber was from old money and they _dated_ briefly five years ago. I saw the look on her face when Dillon introduced us. The _I'm better than you_ look. When I mentioned it to Dillon, he just laughed it off saying she didn't mean anything by it and I shouldn't take it personally. I didn't like her either as she always seemed to exude an air of superiority to everyone around. To Liz, Amber represented everything she hated about growing up amongst the socially elite, and the fact that Amber didn't like me only fueled Liz's dislike of her.

I should have known she was here when Dillon said he saw Muffy in the crowd earlier. Amber, Muffy and Brittany never went anywhere without each other. Liz continued, "And just guess who she's slithering all over tonight? My brother."

Twisting my head, my eyes searched the bar until they landed on the unmistakably blond figure of Amber Hodge, in the seat next to Taylor. Amber's hand was on his arm as she smiled at him, batting what I thought to be false eyelashes. I watched through narrowed eyes as Amber leaned forward, trying to flash her cleavage at Taylor. She was like a fisherman dangling her bait. Vindictive glee curled in stomach when Amber pouted in dismay. It seemed that Taylor refused to bite, choosing to keep his eyes on her face. _Good boy_.

A small, humoring smile played on Taylor's lips as he indulged her in, what I was sure to be, inane chattering. Irritation prickled along my spine. I'd seen her checking him out in the past but, until tonight, she'd never approached him. Amber only went after men that had any of these three things; wealth, looks and an air of unattainability. And damn everything to hell if Taylor didn't have all three of those things. A pang of jealousy shot through my body, and I ruthlessly snuffed it out.

Liz turned me around to face her and began grinding her body against mine. "Well?" She asked expectantly.

"Well, what?" I queried with raised eyebrows.

"Aren't you going over there?" _What the hell? Did Liz think I had some sort of interest in her brother?_

Now it made sense why she was here. She wanted me to go over there and put an end to Amber. Probably wanting me to stake her through the heart. As if such a thing was possible. Evil couldn't be stopped so easily. "Liz, I don't like Amber either, but I think your brother can protect himself. Besides, it's none of my business."

Liz sighed in exasperation. "It is your business. It's your right as his-" She paused abruptly before continuing, "umm… best friend to protect him from barracudas like Amber."

I laughed at the ridiculous image of tiny me protecting Taylor's massive form as a large vulture with Amber's head circled above us. "Taylor hardly needs my protection, Liz. He's a grown ass man. If he's not interested, he'll let her know."

Liz's mouth opened in outrage. "What do you mean _if_? She's not his type."

I snorted in disbelief. "Right, because men turn down tall, blond haired, thin, and big breasted women all the time."

Liz spoke a bit forcefully. "Listen to me, Izzy. Amber Hodge is _not_ my brother's type. Besides, those big breasts are big _fake_ breasts."

Slipping my hand around her waist, I asked, "Do you really think men care that her breasts are implants?"

She spoke with conviction. "My brother will never go for her."

"Well then, you have nothing to worry about." I reasoned.

Liz looked at me for a long moment, opened her mouth then closed it, pressing her lips together in annoyance, and we continued to sway. I'd won the argument, and she knew it. Suddenly, I noticed that our dancing had drawn the attention of the men around us. I could only imagine the sight we made. Two girls grinding on each other. They watched us with lust and longing in their eyes. A few of them looked like they wanted to come over and dance with us but thought we were a couple.

"Liz, we look like a lesbian couple," I remarked.

Liz smirked. "Bitch, please. I could get way hotter tail than you."

"Like who?" I asked in amused curiosity.

"Like me." Leah spoke up from behind me, causing me to jump slightly. She then joined us, raising her hands above her head and moving her body in time with the music.

Angela's voice chimed in laughingly whilst gyrating her hips sexily. "Really, Leah? I'm surprised, because I always thought you were a sausage and beans kind of girl." We all shared a laugh as we danced around each other, twisting and twirling.

I noticed that the guys had moved from the table and were standing, watching us dance. Amber wasn't anywhere in sight. It seemed like Taylor had managed to shake Amber off. At least for now. A grinning Zach was in sleazy director mode, filming us with his camcorder. He'd brought his camera tonight in the hopes of capturing some more crazy times. He said we'd be immortalized forever in his Girls Gone Wild movie.

As the night went on, there was more dancing, I downed shots with Dillon and his friends and the rest was a blur. The following morning, I would wake up to find that the she-wolf had failed to keep her promise. Not only would I have company, but I would also discover that I did a few things I would not be proud of.

* * *

**A/N:** Who did Bella wake up with?

What did she do the night before?

Seems that Amber has her sights set on Taylor.

What will Bella do?

**Coming up next:** Bar fights,hooker dancing and the camera that captured it all.

Also, more Leah and Zach then we say goodbye to our she-wolf. (cries)

Lyrics from the song in the beginning are from My Chemical Romance's song Famous Last Words.

Now I'm wondering whether or not to break my one week update limit and give you guys another update this Thursday instead of next week.


	33. Bella Swan, The Hellraiser

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

**Because you guys asked, here's another chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 33

_The next morning…_

A voice disturbed my slumber.

"Bitch."

_What?_

"Wake your ass up."

_No._

"I'm tired of waiting for you to get up."

_Who cares?_

"I don't have time for this shit."

_Then leave._

I made myself comfortable, snuggling back in my blankets until… _smack._

"Shit." The pillow muffled my curse and I rolled my head to the side. Carefully, I opened my eyes to see Liz standing beside my bed, looking impatient.

Freeing a hand from my blanket, I rubbed the place she'd hit me on my butt, grumbling, "Damn it, Liz. What the hell?"

Unfazed by my grouchy attitude, Liz was brimming with excitement. "Time to get up."

I groaned, clutching my head. Already I could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on, and predicted that a bitch of a hangover was headed my way. As I began to push myself into sitting position, I felt a hand move on my hip and froze. Someone was in the bed with me.

Shutting my eyes, I silently prayed that it wasn't Taylor. Cautiously, I opened my eyes and slowly turned my head to see Angela's sleeping form next to me. Sighing with relief, I turned my attention back to Liz.

Interpreting my expression, Liz smirked, "Don't worry. My brother slept alone last night. Now, I want you to take a look at this."

I noticed Liz had Zach's camcorder in her hand. Angela stirred, opening her brown eyes as I kicked off the blankets. Noticing the camera in Liz's hand, Angela giggled, "If you guys want to make lesbian porn now, you have to let me freshen up first."

Liz climbed onto the bed, crawling toward us. "Later. You guys have to watch this."

I rubbed my eyes and stifled a yawn. "What is it?" Glancing down at my body, I noticed Angela and I were still wearing our clothes from last night.

Liz clamored into the space between us and sat down. She opened the screen and pressed play.

The video began with three girls dancing wildly on a bar while _Don't Cha_ played in the background. I abruptly figured out the identity of the girls.

"Holy shit. That's us." Angela gasped. I didn't see Leah with us on the bar, and wondered where she was. There were people around the bar cheering us on including Jimmy, the owner of the bar. It was obvious that we were out of control and drunk off our asses.

The camera zoomed in on one of us… _me_. We watched as I rotated my hips. My eyes were closed as I swung my head from side to side, making my hair bounce around my face. Suddenly, I opened my eyes and leaned forward, giving the crowd a great view of my cleavage. We heard Zach's voice in the background, "Fucking A, that's hot."

I fell to my knees and swiped a drink from a guy at the bar, downing it in one gulp. Upon closer inspection, we were able to recognize the guy. It was Dillon. He took my hand and helped me off the bar. Pulling me to the dance floor where he hooked an arm around my waist, then we were practically grinding on each other. The camera zipped back toward the bar where Liz and Angela were still dancing. The men in the crowd cheered when Liz lifted up her shirt, trying to flash the crowd but thankfully, she was wearing a bra.

It was at this point we heard Ryan's voice. "What the fuck, Liz? Get your ass down from there." Liz was oblivious to his protests as she continued to dance up against Angela.

Angela and I turned to look at Liz in shock. Liz shrugged her shoulders then offered us an embarrassed grin. "What can I say? It was _not_ one of my finest moments."

As we returned out attention to the recording, the camera panned back to Dillon and me. My face was buried in his chest, and his lips moved as he whispered something in my ear. It looked like he was doing most of the dancing for us as I moved lazily against him. Our hips seemed to be permanently stuck together as we swayed. Then his right hand slinked down my back and grabbed my ass.

Moments later, I was roughly yanked out of Dillon's arms. Angela and I watched in shock as Taylor lunged at Dillon, punching him right in the face. Dillon was momentarily stunned but quickly retaliated with a swift punch that caught Taylor the cheek and a fight broke out between the two men. It was shocking to witness Taylor's ferocity as he repeatedly slammed his fist into Dillon body. I'd never seen him so enraged.

Zach shouted, "Holy shit!" The video shook as Zach hastily put the camera down on the table and we weren't able to see the fight anymore. After a few seconds, someone picked up the camera again and pointed it back toward the guys. We came upon the scene of Zach and Ryan restraining a struggling, furious Taylor as he tried to go after Dillon who was being dragged away by Preston and Brad.

We caught Jimmy's voice in the background as he threatened to throw them out if they didn't stop their shit. Finally, Ryan and Zach were able to calm Taylor down enough to sit down.

Beside me, I heard Liz's relief filled voice, "I'm glad Zach and Ryan were able to stop Taylor. My brother has a bad temper and it's almost impossible to stop him when he gets like that."

Back on the recording, Ryan turned to Zach, "Man, forget this shit. We're leaving. Let's go get the girls."

They walked off screen and in the direction of the bar. The camera panned a little to the right and found me dancing by myself in a corner, completely oblivious to the fracas that just occurred. My drunken gaze landed on Taylor as he sat, gingerly touching his face, and I danced my way over to him.

I dropped myself down in the chair next to him and slurred, "There's red jelly coming out of your face." I leaned in close to his face. "You are a beautiful man."

Taylor tried to smirk then winced at the cut on his cheek. "You're drunk."

"And you're sexy." I leaned in closer with the intention of kissing him. But before our lips touched, my eyes drifted shut and I passed out. I fell face first, landing with my head in his crotch.

A mad cackle sounded in the background and we realized that Leah was the person that continued to film after Zach stopped. "This is too fucking funny. Bella Swan, the hell raiser." She managed to choke out in between guffaws.

Ryan and Zach rejoined us just as Taylor stood up, scooping me into his arms. Ryan had Liz thrown over his shoulder, fireman style while Zach had his arm around Angela's waist, trying to hold her upright.

Zach noticed Leah holding camera and dragged Angela over to where she stood. "You continued filming? My kinda woman." He leaned in close to Leah, then the video ended.

I sat there speechless with embarrassment while Liz and Angela rolled around on the bed howling with laughter. _Bitches!_ I was ashamed of the way I acted and carried on last night. The hitting on Taylor, grinding on Dillon and let's not forget the stripper dancing on the bar. Then to make things worse, I ended up with my face in Taylor's crotch. _My God._ I barely recognized myself in that recording.

"It's even funnier the second time around." Liz panted breathlessly as she lay on the bed. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she tried to catch her breath.

Angela sat up, brushing the hair out of her eyes and took in my horrified expression. "Relax, Bella. We were all having fun last night." She tried to comfort me.

Agreeing with Angela, Liz supplied, "Yeah, you have nothing to be ashamed of. _I_ was the one who tried to show a group of drunk, horny men my breasts. We were all pretty wasted."

Allowing myself to take solace in the fact that we'd all done things we weren't proud of last night, I relaxed. However, my relief was short-lived as Liz teased, "So what if you tried to seduce my brother, started a bar fight and danced like a hooker."

I gasped, suddenly remembering Taylor's bleeding cheek. "Oh! I almost forgot. Is Taylor okay?"

Liz waved off my concern. "He's fine. Everyone's downstairs having breakfast. Come on down." She was already striding toward the door, and I couldn't help but glare at her in jealousy. How Liz always managed to look hangover free the morning after a night of drinking, I would never know.

I called out behind her as she left the room. "I'll be down in a few. I need to have a shower and wash the _skank_ off me."

"As if a shower's gonna help with that, hooker." Angela teased evilly. Her brown eyes twinkled as she rolled off the bed and began to peel off her clothes.

I figured she had the same idea. Holding up a hand, I quipped, "Sorry, I shower alone."

Down to her underwear, Angela snorted in amusement. "Hooker, please. There's more than one shower in this house." She wrapped herself in her towel and left me to undress.

After I'd had my bath and changed, I padded down the stairs. I heard laughter coming from the kitchen and went in. I imagined they were all gathered around the table having their breakfast. As I came into everyone's view, the table fell silent and everyone stared at me. _Jeez._

Liz broke the silence, greeting me loudly, "Hi, hooker!"

Everyone laughed as I flipped her off, strolling toward the counter in search of my breakfast. After organizing two pieces of toast and a glass of orange juice, I took my place in the empty spot next to a smirking Leah. Nervously, I nibbled on a piece of toast and zoned out the talking going on around me.

Feeling eyes on me, I looked up from my plate and into the piercing eyes of Taylor as he sat across from me. From where I sat, I was able to see the red discoloration of his cheek bone and the slight swelling of his bottom lip. _Poor thing_. Guilt gnawed away at my stomach. Whatever appetite I had, up and fled.

Taylor was the first to break our eye contact, returning his attention back to his eggs while I fretted silently. _Was he mad at me? Or even worse, disappointed?_ I supposed I would have to apologize to him sometime today. If I hadn't been acting so slutty, then, a drunk off his ass, Dillon wouldn't have grabbed my ass leading Taylor to punch him for it. After I apologized to Taylor, I would have to call Dillon and make sure he was okay. Taylor really beat him down last night.

My gaze flitted over to where Zach sat grinning. I knew that look. Zach wore his _cat_ _that had sex with the canary before killing and eating it_ grin on his face. _Did Zach and Leah…_ I watched as he playful wagged a piece of bacon in her face. She smacked it away, trying not to smile and failing miserably. _Oh yeah._ They slept together last night.

Just the sight of my she-wolf smiling was worth any lingering shame I'd felt about the night before. No one deserved to have at least one good night like Leah did. A small smile bloomed on my face as I watched them and I bit my bottom lip in an attempt to stop it. My eyes wandered back to see Taylor looking at me intently. Blushing lightly, I dropped my gaze to my plate and forced myself to finish my toast.

_Later. I would apologize to him later._

* * *

I stood beside the car, waiting for Leah and Zach to finish saying goodbye. As much as I tried not to stare at them, I couldn't help it. I was too far away and unable to hear their conversation. Zach was leaning against the side of the house, as he spoke to her. Leah shook her head in reply and shuffled almost… shyly on her feet. _Shyly, what the hell? Leah was shy… wow._ With stuffed hands in his pockets, Zach glanced down at his feet as he spoke to her. _Aw… that's so cute. _He looked like a little boy asking a girl out for the first time.

Not wanting to ruin their moment, I smothered the giggle that threatened to trickle from my mouth. Without warning, Leah turned on her heel and walked away from a confused looking Zach. "Aw, come on, Lee."

Leah didn't slow her steps as she tossed over shoulder, "Forget it, kid. I don't do long distance relationships."

_What the hell is this?_

Did Zach want to start something serious with Leah? I'd never pegged Zach for a relationship kinda guy as he'd always been a ruthless serial dater in the past. He wasn't the type to fool a girl into believing they had any kind of future together. And he never made promises he couldn't keep.

Leah hopped into the passenger seat, slamming the door behind her. I threw a sympathetic gaze at Zach before scampering around the car and climbing into the driver's seat. I turned to ask Leah if she was sure she wanted to say goodbye to Zach like this. I didn't even get past her name before she snapped at me, "Just drive."

I put the car into gear then drove us away from the house. Breaking the silence, I said, "So you uh…" _Had sex?_

"Yep."

"With uh…" _Zach?_

"Uh huh."

I couldn't think of anything else to say. "Wow." _I bet it was fantastic_.

Leah's eyes glazed over slightly as she sighed, "Yeah."

Twisted curiosity made me ask, "So… how was it?"

Leah offered me a grin that was very much like Zach's. _Oh hell. He's rubbed off on her._ "Do you _really_ want to know?"

"I guess not." I relented and gave the road my full attention. I could see the airport in the distance. It wouldn't be long until we arrived and there was something I think Leah deserved to know. Something that could change the way she looked at Zach.

As we came to a stop at a red light, I turned my head to Leah and blurted, "Zach knows about the Cullens!"

Leah's eyes snapped to mine, rattling off questions. "What? How did he find out? Did they try to do something to him?" The shaking of the car, alerted me to the fact that Leah was seconds away from phasing in my car.

Trying to defuse the situation, I shouted, "Calm down, Leah! You'll phase if you don't calm down!"

I watched as Leah took a series deep breath, trying to achieve some kind of serenity. Her tremors slow to a stop as she fought with the wolf and won. A relief filled sigh escaped my lips, and I mentally kicked myself for blurting the news out the way I did.

Apparently, Leah had the same idea as she glared at me. "Sorry." I apologized meekly.

Her scowl softened as she queried, "So how did Zach find out?"

The light turned green and I got us moving again. "Well, you know Zach's from the Makah reservation, right?" After Leah nodded, I continued, "He grew up hearing the legends too, and while we were at the Cullen house, he put two and two together."

"So, is he as chummy with them as you are?" Leah asked grumpily, leaning back in her seat. She never warmed up to the Cullens, even after they fought alongside each other.

"Actually, Zach demanded we leave right away. He didn't want to be around them at all, even after I told him about their vegetarian diet. He promised never to tell anyone about the Cullens but, other than that, he wants nothing to do with them." I admitted, and I thought I spied a proud, tiny smile on Leah's face.

"The point I'm trying to get at, Leah, is that Zach is a trustworthy guy. I'm just telling you this in case you ever decide to let him in on any _secrets_." I finished slyly, looking at her from the corner of my eyes. Leah smiled softly to herself and I decided to let her soak in that bit of information. I just wanted to let her know that Zach was a decent, honorable guy, in case she ever decided to change her mind about him. Somehow, I had the feeling that things weren't over between them.

Once in the airport, Leah and I stood at her departure gate, hugging each other goodbye. I began again, "Leah, about Zach…"

Leah cut me off, "Just don't. All right." For a second, her hard mask slipped allowing me to see how hard this was for her.

She liked Zach too, but the distance between them would make things near impossible. Not to mention the fact that Leah could never tell Zach her secret. That she was a werewolf. Like me, Leah had her own secrets to keep which made it difficult to have serious relationships. I knew Leah wasn't worried about imprinting because she admitted that the elders didn't think it was a possibility for her. She thought that they considered her a genetic dead end because she didn't get her period anymore.

But just because we couldn't get serious with anyone didn't mean we couldn't date and have fun. "I'm making an amendment to our pact."

"What is it?"

"I propose that, in addition to never crying for Jacob or Sam again, we should also start dating. What'd you say?" I waited for her answer.

After giving it some thought, Leah agreed with me. "Fine, when I get back to Washington, I'll start dating again."

Pulling her in for one last hug, I murmured into her shoulder, "I wish you could stay here with us."

"I do too, but I can't. Not yet anyway." Leah pulled away with a sigh, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

As Leah walked to her gate, she teased me over her shoulder. "I'll call you when I get home. Bye,_ Isabella_."

_So Leah thought she could tease me?_ Well, two could play that game. "Bye, _Lee_."

Standing at the window, I watched as her plane rolled down the flight path and took off. I knew she was leaving with a somewhat better outlook on life, and I hoped it would be enough to help her once she sees Sam and Emily again.

I climbed into my car and drove back to the cabin, all the while worrying about how everyone would take the news of my going out with Dillon. As it turned out, I was right to be worried. I never knew one little date would cause so much fuss.

* * *

**A/N: **So how do you guys feel about the fight between Dillon and Taylor?

I'm sad to see Leah go back home but I have to get on with the story.

Summer couldn't last forever. Unfortunately.

**Coming up next:**Bella starts her Junior year.**  
**

Bella's date does not go over well with the boys, especially with you know who.

Ryan goes into full protective brother mode and embarrasses the hell out of Bella.

Amber makes another appearance and Bella gets catty.

You know what to do if you want your chapter before next Thursday.**Review!**


	34. The Hunt for Hemorrhoid Cream

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

**To Koto-** I don't think I've ever heard those songs before but I'll give it them a listen and we'll see.**  
**

* * *

Chapter 34

The fall semester of our junior year began, and things were hectic, running around trying to locate classes and buying textbooks. I still hadn't told anyone about my fast approaching date with Dillon. It was constantly on my mind and it didn't take long for everyone to notice my distraction. When Taylor asked me what was up, I changed the topic by apologizing to him for the bar incident and the dark red bruise on his face. He said I could make it up to him by watching my drinking. I knew that by _watching my drinking_ he meant paying attention to who I drank with.

Dillon apologized to me for the ass grabbing incident and I waved him off. I knew he was drunk, and to be honest, a part of me felt like I'd encouraged him with my wanton behavior. He said that he didn't hold any grudges against Taylor. But, deep down I knew he was pissed about the small cut on his eyebrow. Dillon was still excited about our date, though. He told me he made reservations for us to have dinner at Riverside Restaurant. The most exclusive and expensive restaurant in town. People had to book reservations at least two months in advance to eat there. When I inquired as to how he pulled it off, he mysteriously told me that _he knew a guy_ then left it at that.

By Thursday night I was a nervous wreck. We were sitting around on the living room floor watching _RocknRolla_ on DVD. But even Gerard Butler's hotness wasn't enough to fully take my mind off my date the next night. _What_ _do I say to him? Hell, what do I wear?_ With these questions running rampant in my mind, I didn't hear when Liz asked me if I wanted some of her fries.

The sound of Liz calling my name broke me out of my musings. "Izzy, what's up with you? You've been distracted all week."

It was now or never. I decided to tell them the truth. After taking a deep breath, I confessed, "I have a date with Dillon."

Almost instantly, I felt Taylor's body stiffen next to me. I was too chicken to look at him. Liz smiled tentatively, but Ryan and Zach both wore scowls on their faces. "So he finally wore you down, huh?" This came from Ryan as he dropped his half-eaten burger back on his plate. Guess he'd lost his appetite.

"Leah and I made a pact to start dating again and well…" I trailed off, not knowing how to finish my sentence. Okay… so I altered the truth a little. I asked Dillon out before I made the pact but Ryan's glaring intimidated me.

At the mention of Leah's name Zach's head snapped up. "Leah's dating?"

_Oh crap! Me and my big mouth._ I didn't think Leah would have wanted Zach to know about her dating. I opened and closed my mouth, unsure of what to say to him. He'd been in a weird mood ever since Leah left and constantly bugged me for Leah's phone number, but I didn't give it to him because Leah made me promise not to.

"So when's the big occasion?" I really had to hand it to Liz. She was doing her best to be supportive in the face of almost overwhelming disapproval.

While nervously picking my burger to pieces, I mumbled, "Tomorrow night."

"When did he ask you?" Liz queried softly, shooting anxious glances at Taylor.

"Um… he didn't ask me. I asked him that night at the Jimmy's." I replied quietly, wishing that a fire would break out in our apartment and provide me with a distraction.

"Hm." Was Taylor's only response as he got up and left the apartment. By the stiffness of his shoulders and the clenching of his fists, I was able to denote that he wasn't happy.

Liz's face was a mixture of worry and annoyance as she watched Taylor leave. When Zach stood up to follow Taylor's lead, Liz's eyes glinted dangerously, "And just where do you think you're going?"

Zach barely heard her as he mumbled distractedly to himself. "I can't believe she's dating." He then hastily made an exit. _Poor thing._ He looked so forlorn. I gathered Zach really had genuine feelings for Leah.

Liz looked positively pissed. No one was allowed to walk out on one of Liz's movie nights, _no one_. The last time someone tried to leave before the movie was over, it was like Armageddon. You couldn't even go on a bathroom break while the movie was playing. Liz always insisted that bathroom breaks were before and after the movie.

As Ryan stood to his feet Liz snapped, "Fine! Just fine! Walk out on movie night! I don't care!"

With eyes as wide as saucers, Ryan replied. "I'll be right back. I have to run to the drugstore." He then quickly disappeared out the door, leaving Liz in the midst of her tantrum. I concluded that Ryan's departure had more to do with escaping Liz's temper and less to do with his sudden need find out what kind of hemorrhoid cream the drugstore sold. He immediately went into a flight-or-fight response and had chosen to flee.

I sat in guilty silence, contemplating my own escape route before Liz had the chance to turn her wrath on me for ruining movie night. Staring at the door, Liz absentmindedly tugged at her brown hair. Something she only did when extremely irritated. As she turned to face me, I braced myself. My worry would be in vain as her expression was that of sympathy and not ire.

Reaching out a hand, Liz rubbed my shoulder. "I'm sorry about the guys, Izzy. This should be an exciting time for you and they just ruined it."

Suddenly, I was beginning to have second thoughts about going out with Dillon. "Liz, maybe I should just cancel my date," I said unsurely.

Liz's reaction was both startling and indignant as she fixed me with one of her glares. "Don't you dare, Izzy." Her eyes softened and she sighed, "Look, I know you're concerned about how my brother reacted, but this date is a good thing. You're finally getting past your post-Jacob apocalyptic breakup. My brother will understand that…" She paused as if trying to find the right words.

"Understand what?"

"That Dillon is an experience that you need to have. He's… necessary." Liz gave a satisfied nod, evidently contented with her answer.

Scrunching up my nose in confusion, I asked, "Necessary? What do you mean by that?"

Liz explained further, "Look, I know you're not going to fall in love with him. I view Dillon as a sort of stepping stone until you're ready for bigger and better things." She then gave me one of Taylor's enigmatic smiles, and I knew that was all I would get out of her. _Bigger and better things?_

Realizing that movie night was officially dead, she turned off the TV and shifted her body in my direction, "So where's he taking you?"

"Riverside Restaurant."

"Seriously?" Her eyes shone with fascination.

I nodded. "Yep." I wasn't overly excited about the whole fancy restaurant thing. Why couldn't we do something simple and cheap?

_Because it's Dillon Buchanon, that's why._

Liz's beamed excitedly, "Wow. That's the best restaurant in town. He must really be trying to impress you." Liz suddenly shot up from the couch with an excited squeal. "We'll have to find you something to wear."

Without giving me a chance to respond, Liz grabbed me by the hand and dragged me to my closet. For the next two hours, I was subjected to questions and comments like:

_Dillon won't mind if you show off so much cleavage._

_I think that dress isn't short enough._

_Remember, Izzy, lace is our friend_.

_Do you plan on wearing panties with that?_

_How do you feel about going commando?_

I spent the remainder of the night wishing I'd joined Ryan on his hunt for hemorrhoid cream. _Why me?

* * *

_

In the end, Liz decided that I had nothing in my closet that was _Riverside Restaurant_ _worthy_, so we spent the next day running from store to store looking for the perfect dress.

Zach had been a perfect grump the entire day, choosing to speak and answer questions in a series of grunts and groans. Ryan still didn't like my going out with Dillon, but he kept his comments to himself, due to the threat known as _Liz_. Taylor didn't join us for breakfast that morning and when I asked about him, I was told by Ryan, that he was busy. His reaction bothered and angered me. I knew that Dillon wasn't his favorite person, but he could have at least stayed and _pretended_ to be supportive.

Hours later, I stood in front of the mirror watching my reflection while Liz crooned at her _crowning achievement_. My chestnut hair hung in loose waves around my head, cascading over my shoulders and down my back. I wore a cabaret, silk chiffon, strapless dress that clung to my body and accentuated my curves. Liz fell in love with the dress from the first moment she laid her eyes on it. On my feet, I wore a pair of black stiletto heels that made my legs look shapely and long.

"You look so beautiful, Izzy. Dillon's a lucky man." Liz complimented me.

I grinned in appreciation, "Thanks, Liz."

"You just need one more thing to complete your look." Liz removed a small blue box from atop the dresser. She then opened it to reveal a pair of black pearl earrings. The pearls hung from white gold hooks and were topped with a diamond encrusted design.

"Wow, Liz. They're gorgeous." I gasped softly and reach out a fingertip to lightly trace the diamond design.

"They were my mother's." Liz's eyes held a far away look, thinking about the woman she only knew from photos. She had a few framed pictures of her mother in her room. Liz was a lighter skinned, green eyed version of her mother.

This was way too much for just one silly date with Dillon. Just as I opened my mouth to protest, Liz beat me to the punch. "Relax, Izzy. I'm only loaning them to you. But if you and Dillon get robbed tonight, I expect you to swallow them to keep them safe. _Is you feelin' me?_" Her lips twitched comically as she tried to hold back her smile.

"Wow. Bad grammar _and_ threats. I feel the love." I smiled sardonically.

She handed me the earrings and I slipped them on, one after the other. When I was done, I returned my attention to the mirror. I'd chosen to keep my makeup light, wearing eye shadow for that smoky-eyed look and berry lip-gloss on my lips.

Liz clapped her hands together and rocked on her heels. "Look at you, going out on your first date. I feel like a proud mama." She flittered around me like a humming bird, spraying me with perfume.

The opening and closing of the front door informed us that we had company. Liz left my room to see who it was, practically skipping out the door. She was really excited for this date to happen. I wished I shared her enthusiasm. At the moment, feelings of nervousness were prevailing over everything else. I glanced at the clock to see it was almost eight thirty.

_Dillon should be here any minute now._

Making an O with my mouth, I retouched my lip gloss. As I smoothed down my dress, I agreed with Liz's judgment on my dress. The dark color really flattered my pale skin tone. The prickly sensation of being watched made me halt in my self-examination. A slight twist of my head confirmed that I had an unexpected visitor.

Taylor was standing in my doorway, looking at me. Green eyes swept over my frame and I suppressed a quiver.

I suddenly remembered I was still angry with him. "You left."

"I came back." Slowly, Taylor stepped over the threshold then shut the door behind him. Deliberately, he moved toward me. His feet made no sound on the carpet.

"It's just a date, you know?" I said for the sake of saying as he closed the distance between us.

"I know." Keeping the same lazy pace in his footsteps, he murmured. I felt like prey being stalked by a predator. The overwhelming urge to flee was present, but my entire being was frozen where I stood. Excitement and fear mingled together, creating a frenzy of emotions in me. For one brief, twisted moment, I wondered if Taylor would chase me if I ran and what would happen when he caught me.

As he came to a stop in front of me, I gazed up at him. Even though I wore heels, there was still a noticeable difference in our height.

"You look beautiful."

Without thinking, I blurted softly, "I know." A blush bloomed on my cheeks when I realized what I said. _Jeez, I can't believe I just said that_. _Verbal diarrhea strikes again!_

Seeing my blush, humor flicked in his eyes for a moment before they darkened, boring into mine. The intensity of his stare made me shiver. The atmosphere of the room changed then it was like we had been transported back to that drunken night three weeks ago.

It felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. Lightly, Taylor ran his rough hands up and down my arms, creating electric chills that travelled up my spine. Fingertips trailed up my slender bicep and gently brushed the hair off my shoulder. His hands were warm, and I could smell the manly scent that was so unique to him. It was _so_ Taylor.

As he leaned in slowly, my heart pounded furiously in my ears and I struggled to control my erratic breathing. Torn between wanting to push him away and pulling him closer, I fisted my hands firmly. My nails bit into my palms as I fought to resist doing either one. He shifted his head slightly and warm breath tickled my ear as he whispered, "I'm sorry."

Taylor's movements were torturously slow as he pulled away and his smooth cheek brushed against mine. He paused briefly before pressing a lingering kiss dangerously close to my mouth. My eyelids fluttered close and I instinctively leaned into him. He removed his lips from my skin but didn't step away. Instead, he tilted his head imperceptibly and waited. I knew that I only needed to turn my head a little and our lips would touch. He waited for me to make the first move while my body and mind were waging an internal war.

A knock on my door broke our trance and I pulled away from Taylor, moments before Liz opened the door. Keeping my eyes on the floor, I tried to calm down.

A frown creased Liz's brow as she eyed us with a mixture of suspicion and playfulness. "Well, I see you two have made up." She ignored the tense silence as she announced cheerfully, "Dillon's here."

Reality hit me like a ton of bricks. _Crap! I almost forgot about my date with Dillon._ This was exactly why I needed to start dating. So I would stop myself from rubbing up against Taylor like a cat in heat. Without looking at Taylor, I grabbed my purse off the bed and left the room with Liz while Taylor trailed behind us. However, our advancement was blocked by Ryan's large frame.

His face was a combination of irritation and embarrassment as he pushed a small, brown paper bag at me. "Here." He said tersely.

"What is it?" I didn't take the bag from him.

Ryan annoyed that I was forcing him to explain, wordlessly opened the bag, pulled out a box of condoms and shoved it into my hands.

_Oh my God._

My cheeks burned as I asked, "Is that the reason you went to the drugstore last night?"

Ryan nodded his response. Moments later, the condoms were snatched out of my hands by a pissed off looking Taylor. "She doesn't need that."

"Oh really? Did you forget who she's going out with? Do you want her to get something from him?" Ryan argued.

Taylor's lips tightened into a thin line as he mutely thrust the condoms back into my hands.

The word _mortified_ wasn't enough to cover my feelings at this point. Just when I thought my embarrassment was over, Liz proved me wrong. "Hey, guys, relax. Izzy's not gonna put out on the first date. Are you, Izzy?"

They were discussing my non-existent sex life with a guy I hadn't even kissed yet. Without answering Liz, I threw the box at Ryan and stomped down the hall into the living room, where my date waited. Behind me, Ryan called out, "Good for you, Izzy. You be a good girl and keep your legs closed tonight."

_Oh God!_ I hastened my steps.

Dillon looked handsome in his sharply tailored, dark blue suit. Behind me, Liz's awed murmurs informed me that it was Armani. He wore a light blue shirt inside his jacket and a dark blue silk necktie. Dillon was definitely dressed to impress. Everything he wore, from his French gold cufflinks to his shiny, black leather shoes, screamed money. I felt my unease return. His blue eyes roamed up and down my figure. His appreciative gaze left me feeling a little unnerved.

"You look stunning, Izzy." Dillon took my hands in his and smiled. His gazed moved to someone over my shoulder and his eyes narrowed slightly. I craned my neck to see Taylor glaring back at him. No doubt challenging him to a rematch.

I sighed inwardly. This was _so_ not the time and place for their puffed up egos to come out on display. Taylor had a good twenty pound advantage on Dillon and I was certain if they got into it again, Ryan would help Taylor pound on him.

"She has mace." Ryan announced behind me. "And don't forget, I know where you live, Buchanon."

Dillon rolled his eyes, clearly bored with the turn of the conversation. "I know where you live too, Sinclair." He replied with a slight edge to his voice. Okay, things were beginning to get a bit out of hand.

Liz elbowed Ryan in the stomach but that didn't stop him. "What? I'm just letting him know that if he touches her, I'll come touch him." _Ew!_ Ryan had no idea how gay his statement sounded. Dillon wrinkled his nose in distaste.

I was so embarrassed. My gaze was pleading as I turned to Taylor for help only to be disappointed. He was too busy trying to hold in his laughs. _Bastard!_

Taking the initiative, I grabbed my jacket then took a hold of Dillon's arm and led him out the door. "We should get to the restaurant, Dillon."

I shut the door behind us, effectively cutting off Taylor's roaring laughter. "I'm sorry about that, Dillon." I expressed my remorse as we walked to the elevator.

"No need to apologize, Izzy. They're protective of you, it's… cute."

We walked out to the parking lot where his red Jaguar was parked. As I reached for the door handle of his car, Dillon surprised me by rushing forward to open the door himself. Usually, I preferred to open my own doors but… whatever. I sat down and immediately fastened my seatbelt. Something I'd picked up from Taylor, who would refuse to start the car until everyone was safely strapped in. _One of his quirks._

Even though Dillon drove a little too fast for my liking, he still wasn't as bad as the Cullens. But I gathered that when you were unable to die, you didn't worry about silly things like dying in a fiery car crash. We pulled up in front of the restaurant and Dillon tossed his keys to the valet as he walked around the car to open my door for me.

As Dillon guided me into the building, the maître d' met us at the door and led us to our table. I couldn't help but admire the décor of the restaurant. Floor to ceiling windows provided a breathtaking view of the river. The dimmed lighting and softly filtered music encouraged intimate conversation. The intricate ironworks and sophisticated artwork adorning the walls gave the restaurant a cosmopolitan quality.

We were led to a secluded table with an excellent view of the river. After we were seated, our waiter for the evening, Mason, provided us with menus and we ordered a plate of garlic bread as our starter. While reviewing the menu, I tried to find cheap dishes but I discovered that the menu had no prices. I chose the mushroom risotto for my main course (at Dillon's urging) while he decided on the lobster ravioli.

After our starter arrived, Dillon entertained me with funny stories from his childhood. Dillon made me giggle when he stole some of my risotto of my plate. In the end, we decided to switch plates with each other. I preferred Dillon's ravioli to my risotto (it tasted awful). Dillon and I were halfway through our meals when we heard a familiar voice.

"Well, look who we have here." _Ah shit._

I looked up from my plate to see Amber and some poor, rich schmuck headed in our direction. Her hair was styled in an elegant French twist and she wore a green twist strap, pleated dress. Amber was hideous, except for the fact that she looked drop dead gorgeous.

She arrived at our table and spoke with her eyes on Dillon. "Hello, Dillon."

Dillon greeted her, "Hello, Amber. You know Izzy, right?" He gestured to me with his right hand.

Amber turned to me with false surprise on her face. "Is that you, Izzy? I almost didn't recognize you. You look… different." She shot me a sweet smile filled with venom. _What a bitch!_

I suddenly felt so tired of people like Amber. People that had no real reason to hate you but did it anyway. I'd put up with people like her all through high school and I wasn't about to do it anymore. Sweet, innocent, forgiving Bella was not in the house tonight.

"Amber? Are you feeling okay? Because you look a little ill to me. Maybe it's that dress. Green really isn't your color." I commented with beguiling concern written all over my face.

If looks could kill, I would have been killed on the spot by Amber's death glare. I heard snickering from Dillon and Amber's date. They quickly stopped after she turned her glower on them. She then shot me a look that said _this isn't over_. I met her with a hardened gaze of my own that replied, _bring it bitch_. Amber turned on her heels wordlessly and dragged her date away. _Looks like somebody's not getting laid tonight._

Dillon watched her go with a nervous look on his face. "Maybe you shouldn't have said that, Izzy. Amber's one enemy you don't want to make." He cautioned me.

I took a sip of my wine then returned to my ravioli. "Bitch had it coming."

Dillon attempted to lighten my mood by changing the topic. "So, will you be at the Green Monster next week?" The Green Monster was a boat race, held annually on the Connecticut River. MIT, Vermont and Boston University were coming to compete, and Dillon would be a senior on Dartmouth's crew this year.

"Yeah, I think I'll come see what all the fuss is about." I answered coyly, peering at him through my lashes. It was cute, the way his eyes lit up with excitement at the idea of my being there to witness him in his winning glory.

Dillon rambled on enthusiastically about the race and his training all through dessert. When we were finished, he drove me back home and walked me to my door. My nervousness returned again with a vengeance. Was I supposed to kiss him? I hadn't kissed anybody since… I quickly dismissed that thought. I reminded myself that this was about moving forward and on with my life.

"I had a really good time tonight, Dillon." I couldn't help but fidget with my hands.

"I'm glad." He closed the distance between us. Using his right hand he gently tilted my chin up and leaned in to kiss me. I closed my eyes as his lips touched mine. His hands slipped down and wrapped around my waist, pressing me closer to him. I allowed my hands to trail up his arms to rest on his shoulders. Dillon's lips were soft and warm. His mouth parted slightly and his moist tongue brushed against my lips. I hesitantly opened my mouth and touched his tongue with my own. Dillon let out a groan and began kissing me in earnest. The need for air forced us to break apart. Dillon was definitely an expert kisser but something was missing.

Dillon must have seen something on my face because he asked, "What?"

"Nothing." I stood on my toes and pressed one last lingering kiss on his lips, then pulled away. "Goodnight, Dillon."

"Goodnight, Izzy." Dillon grinned as he turned on his heels, walking back toward the elevator.

I let myself into the apartment with my keys then kicked off my heels. The living room was empty and I wondered if Liz and Ryan were home. I stopped in front of their closed bedroom door and knocked. "Liz?"

I heard a giggle then Liz spoke, "Izzy? You back?"

"Yeah. Can I come in?"

"Sure."

Cautiously, I opened their door and peeked around it. Liz and Ryan were dressed for bed. Liz was wearing her ridiculous Hello Kitty shorts and tank top and Ryan, in his sweats and singlet. "Am I interrupting sex?"

"More like interrupting a guy begging for sex." Liz snorted and Ryan pouted. "How was your date?"

I climbed onto the bed, crawled in between them and lay down. "It was great except for the part when Amber Hodge showed up."

"Seriously?" I then relayed our interaction to Liz and she giggled, "I wish I could have seen her face."

Ryan cut in between our girl talk. "So did that punk kiss you, Izzy?"

I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Yes but…" My voice trailed off as I remembered the kiss.

"But what?" Ryan's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I don't know. Dillon's attractive and a great kisser and all, but I feel like something's missing." I murmured distractedly.

"Like what?" Ryan prodded impatiently.

My eyes widened with realization. "Sparks. There were no sparks."

Liz nodded sympathetically while Ryan grumbled, "Good. No sparks for you. Sparks are dangerous."

Ignoring Ryan, I continued, "With Edward and Jacob there were all kinds of sparks but none with Dillon." Sighing in frustration, I wondered if I had to be in love to feel sparks.

"Maybe you should look at that as a good thing. Now, you can just concentrate on having fun with Dillon without the whole love thing. Besides, you said you're not looking for anything serious right now." Liz reasoned.

"I guess." I conceded reluctantly.

Later that night, I lay awake in bed thinking about what Liz said. Maybe the absence of sparks was a good thing but I would really miss them. My mind wondered back to my almost kiss with Taylor. I really didn't understand what was happening between us. Dillon certainly did not inspire feelings of breathless, weak-kneed lightheadedness like Taylor did. Tonight, I almost forgot the promise I made to myself. The promise to never get involved like that with him. I really could not blame it on alcohol this time. I would have to be really careful in the future. Taylor Reed seemed to have some kind of weird gravitational hold on me. He confused the hell out of me. I knew he had feelings for me, but what kind were they? Were they relationship feelings or just attraction feelings?

Eventually, my eyes drifted close and I fell asleep, dreaming about the kiss that never happened. _Wanting is dangerous_. Wanting could get you in trouble. Especially, when you're not sure what you want.

* * *

**A/N: **How did you guys enjoy Ryan's craziness?

And the date with Dillon?

What about Bella's run in with Amber?

You guys almost didnt get this chapter today due to my inspiration problems and power outages, but I soldiered on and here we are.

**Coming up next:** Someone does a striptease for Bella.

She gets a breast grabbed.

Charlie calls her with some news.

And Bella causes a scene at the regatta.

**PS.**Due to previous reviews, I have to remind you guys about Jacob's injunction in chapter 27.

Leah isn't allowed to think about Bella at all when she's phased.

You know what to do if you want your chapter before next Thursday.**Review!**

It was tough making myself wait till Thursday to give you guys this chapter but if I get enough requests, I'll give you the next one **Monday**.**  
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	35. How do you break a guy's penis?

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 35

Dillon and I went on dates almost every night since our first one. He took me out to restaurants, the movies and we even played mini golf. He was really charming and we had a lot of fun, but the absence of sparks still bothered me a little. I let him kiss me a few times but every time he tried to go beyond that my body would automatically stiffen_. It was such a mood killer._

Our newly founded relationship did not go unnoticed by the female population on campus. Whenever we sat together at the Dining Hall we drew a lot of curious looks and jealous glares. I didn't see what the big deal was. It wasn't like Dillon was my boyfriend or anything. At least, I hoped Dillon didn't feel like he had some sort of claim on me. The way I looked at it, we were absolutely free to see other people.

Taylor and my relationship remained unaltered after our almost kiss. In many ways, it was almost as if the incident never happened. Taylor didn't act differently toward me and he was his usual unpleasant self to Dillon. But there were times when I caught him staring at me with a slight frown on his face. Those were the times when I worried that he was remembering what happened between us at the lake house.

Amber and her minions were none too pleased to see me dating Dillon. I didn't know what her problem was. I'd suspected that she still might have had a thing for Dillon, but annoyingly enough, it was her sniffing around Taylor that bothered me the most. Whenever Amber saw the gang and me hanging out on the green or in the Dining Hall, she would stop to say hello to him, much to Liz's visible displeasure. She'd even gone as far as to rope him into buying lunch for her, a few times. And if I left the gang to go sit with Dillon and his friends, Amber would occupy my empty seat (which was usually next to Taylor).

She was definitely coming onto him but Taylor, for the most part, seemed unimpressed by her flirting. Taylor would usually eat his meals in silence, occasionally favoring Amber with a nod or two to show that he was listening to her. _Poor thing._ I could tell that Amber's incessant chirping bored him to tears. He always looked so tired whenever she was around giggling, asking stupid questions and frequently touching his arm. I didn't understand why he wouldn't just tell her to go away. It didn't pay to be polite all the time.

Amber even made attempts to be polite to Liz. But Liz would hear none of it. Even though she was always openly rude to Amber, the blonde was smart enough to keep her mouth shut rather than argue with Taylor's sister. Zach and Ryan would usually watch their hostile interaction with raised eyebrows and shoot me expectant looks. _What did they want me to do about Amber?_ I was having a hard enough time, trying not to snatch her grabby little fingers off of Taylor, as is. I mean really, did she have to paw at him all the time? I managed to restrain myself by repeating over and over in my head that Taylor was a grown man and if he didn't like her touching him, he would have said something.

Except for the glaring, Amber mostly ignored me. She knew she couldn't afford to be openly rude to Taylor's best friend right in front of him. No, she saved that honor for when he wasn't around. We traded snide remarks and veiled insults on a regular basis. I wasn't shocked at my ability to be catty. Amber Hodge just brought out the worst in me, plain and simple.

The last time I'd spoken to Leah, she'd kept her promise and started dating, going out with guys from her classes. But she never got serious about any of them, always having the same list of complaints. They were always too boring, or no sense of humor or not sexy enough. It sounded to me like Leah was trying to find another Zach. She still refused to let me give Zach her phone number, but I was confident. I knew Leah would come around eventually, after a few more bad dates she would be begging me for his number. Okay… well maybe not _begging_ but demanding roughly. In the meantime, I planned to keep working Zach into her good graces. Those two belonged together.

* * *

It was the day before the regatta and I was sitting on the living room floor, diligently working on a Literature paper that would become due in a three days. I would usually finish off my assignments with plenty of time to spare, but lately, my dates with Dillon were getting in the way. If I hadn't dug my heels in and insisted I needed to study, Dillon would have been successful in drafting me into yet another date.

I wasn't making much progress with my paper because Liz was sitting next to me, rambling on and on about the merits of early Christian art. She was talking to me because Ryan and Taylor were at the store and a somber Zach was sitting on the couch, watching TV. The change in Zach was hard to believe. He just wasn't his usual horn-dog self. I think he missed Leah even though he would never admit it.

Just as I was managing to tune Liz's voice out, she leaned into my ear and whispered, "I think she broke his penis."

"Okay." I mumbled distractedly. After pausing for a moment, my head snapped up, "What!"

"Shhh…" Liz shushed me and pointed at Zach. He spared us a disinterested glance then went back to his show.

Liz leaned in again. "I think Leah broke Zach's penis."

I stared at Liz with my mouth agape. "What the hell are you going on about?"

"I mean, look at him. He's been all depressed and sad ever since they slept together. Taylor told me Zach hasn't brought any of his usual sluts back to the apartment. Maybe she… you know… _broke something_." Eyes twinkling with mischief, Liz explained.

_Where does Liz come up with these things? _"Wait a minute. You said Taylor told you this?" I tried to imagine Taylor gossiping with Liz like a school girl, twirling his short hair and popping gum but I couldn't see it.

"Okay, so maybe he didn't exactly tell me of his own free will. I sort of dragged it out of him." Liz confessed unwillingly. Whenever Liz wanted to know something, she would interrogate you until you cracked. I wasn't surprised Taylor couldn't take the pressure. "Anyway. What other reason could there be for him not having sex?" Liz demanded.

"Liz, did you ever stop to think that maybe Zach just misses Leah?" I reasoned.

"No way," Liz hissed in disbelief.

"Way," I insisted.

Liz stared at me incredulously. "But Zach's a dog." _And Leah's a bitch. A match made in canine heaven._

"Wow." Liz sighed with an awed expression on her face.

I had to ask again. "Really, Liz? A broken penis?"

Liz shrugged her shoulders and we both turned to peer at Zach. _How do you break a guy's penis?_ I didn't realize I was staring at his crotch until Zach spoke up, "Do you two gossiping hens know that I can hear you?"

Ashamed at being caught, my cheeks flushed red. Zach smirked, and Liz hastily averted her eyes. "If you girls wanted to see the goods, all you had to do was say so." Zach stood up, placing his hands on the button of his jeans. Zach the lecher was back.

_Oh God! He's going to show us_. "That's not necessary, Zach," I spoke hurriedly, trying to discourage him. I wasn't sure whether he was being serious or just yanking our chains. One could never be too sure with Zach.

"Now, now, Izzy. If the man wants to show us proof, let him." Liz was daring him with her eyes.

Zach smiled naughtily, "Well, I just can't show it to you; I'll have to do a striptease." Zach took off his shirt, walked over to where we sat on the floor and began to shake his hips in front of our faces. _He's serious!_

"Liz! Say something to stop him!" Liz wasn't paying any attention to me. She was too busy waving a five dollar bill around in her hand. _What the hell? Where did she get that from?_

"Whoo! Yeah, baby! Take it off!" Liz cheered.

Meanwhile, Zach was gyrating his hips and slowly unbuttoning his jeans, exposing his grey boxers. I'd never had a striptease done for me before and I didn't want Zach to be my first. As I stood up with the intention to go hide in my room, my cell phone rang. I checked the caller I.D., it was Charlie.

I decided to use my phone to halt the madness. Standing with one hand on my hip, I tapped my chin with the still ringing cell phone. "I wonder what Leah will say when I tell her that you stripped naked for us."

Zach froze mid-dance and it was comical to see the look of panic on his face. His panicked look turned into a calculating one then took a step toward me. "You wouldn't."

I narrowed my eyes, tightening my grip on the phone. "I would."

"Give me that." Zach made a grab for the phone, but I was able to dodge him. He tired to snatch it again, but I maneuvered my body out of his grasp and stuck the phone in my bra.

I thought I'd won. Oh, how wrong I was. I think it was my smug smile that provoked Zach. "Oh, so you think I won't go there?" He took one step toward me.

I offered Zach a self-satisfied smirk while Liz eyed our showdown with growing amusement. "Pfft." Attempting to appear unthreatened, I haughtily tossed my hair. That set him off.

I turned to run but before I knew it, Zach lifted me off the floor, wrapping me in a bear hug. Zach freed one hand and proceeded to snake his hand up my t-shirt, trying to retrieve my phone from my bra. Screaming and giggling, I wriggled trying to get away but it was useless. There was no escaping his vise-like grip.

"Help me, Liz!" Liz took pity on me and came to my rescue, tickling Zach. Zach laughed and squirmed but didn't loose his hold on me. Just as his hand reached my bra, the front door swung open and in walked Ryan and Taylor. We all stood stock-still staring at each other with wide eyes.

"What the hell is this?" Ryan asked with a slight frown on his brow.

Taylor's eyes narrowed slightly as he surveyed the odd scene we presented. Liz had her hands around a shirtless Zach while he held me in a tight grip. I flushed red with embarrassment when I realized that Zach's hand was touching my breast. Seeing this, Taylor's arm tightened on his grocery bag and Zach quickly removed his hand from beneath my shirt. "It's not what it looks like," Zach began lamely as he zipped up his pants.

Liz giggled nervously and I fixed my t-shirt unnecessarily. Suddenly, the ringing of my cell phone broke through the awkward silence, making me jump in surprise.

Red-faced, I uprooted the phone from my bra and answered it. "Hello, Dad," I muttered. Zach's eyes lit up in comprehension. He'd realized that I'd played him as he assumed that it had been Leah who was calling me earlier.

Charlie's voice came through loud and clear. "Hi Bells. Is this a bad time?"

_Nope. You have perfect timing_. "No, Dad, now's fine." Holding the phone between my ear and shoulder, I reassembled my books from the floor and beat a hasty retreat to my room.

"How are your classes going?" His voice sounded a little anxious.

Dumping my things on the bed, I sighed, "Things are going great. Is everything okay, Dad? You sound strange."

Charlie cleared his throat nosily. "Well, there's something I want to discuss with you."

I sat down on the bed with my curiosity piqued. "What is it?"

Charlie took a deep breath then asked, "How would you feel about my asking Sue to move in with me?"

Gasping in surprise and excitement, I shouted, "That's great, Dad!" I was so happy for him. He wouldn't be alone anymore and Sue was a wonderful woman.

His nervous chuckle was also tinged with relief. "I'm happy to hear you say that. I was a little worried you wouldn't like the idea."

"Sue's great. Why wouldn't I like the idea of her moving in?" I asked curiously.

After a brief pause Charlie continued, "Because Seth would be moving into your room."

_Oh._ I didn't think about that. "It's fine, Dad. I don't mind if Seth gets my room." It wasn't like I was ever home anyway.

I decided to be a bit evil. "It's nice that you and Sue will have a place of your own so you won't get caught kissing by Leah anymore." An evil grin slid along my face as I teased him.

Charlie was mortified. "What! How did you find out about that? Did Billy tell _everybody_? I swear when I get my hands on that old man, I'll wheel him right into traffic," Charlie yelled, and I pulled the phone away from my ear laughing.

I decided to save Billy from any further injuries. "Dad, relax. It wasn't Billy that told me, it was Leah."

"Leah? Wait a minute; I didn't know you two were friends." Surprised echoed in his voice.

"Yeah, Dad. We talk all the time." I admitted.

"So, you talk to Leah but you're not friends with Jacob anymore?" Charlie cross-examined.

"Dad. It's complicated." I sighed, squeezing my eyes close.

"Complicated how?" Charlie inquired. He was clearly not willing to let the subject drop.

This was the last thing I wanted to talk about. I had no desire to discuss Jacob's and my current estrangement. "He doesn't care about me anymore."

Disbelief was evident in Charlie's voice as he spoke, "I can't believe that, Bella. You and Jacob used to be so close."

"Well, Dad, believe it. He told me so himself," I retorted.

"Well, he sure didn't act that way when I mentioned that you went to visit the Cullens in Alaska. He got all huffy and stormed off."

"What?" Leah never mentioned that. But then I remembered that because of Jacob's injunction, Leah couldn't tell me much of anything about him anymore.

"I didn't understand his reaction. It's not like you're back with Edward or anything, are you?" Charlie asked cautiously.

"No, Dad. It's over between Edward and me." I needed to make that clear to him.

Charlie sounded a little confused as he continued, "I just found his reaction strange because he's moved on. Everyone's seen him around with that Carmen. It doesn't look like he's been pining away at all."

I didn't know what to say to that. "Some friendships just aren't meant to last forever, Dad."

"Speaking of moving on. Are you dating anybody?" _Jeez, even Charlie wants me to start dating._

"Um… Yeah. I'm sort of seeing someone. His name is Dillon Buchanon." I felt a little nervous about talking about Dillon to Charlie.

"Sounds like a snob," Charlie concluded.

"Dad!" I blurted.

Taking a deep breath to calm myself down, I continued, "He's fun, Dad. He makes me laugh, but it's not serious."

"Well, if you two ever do decide to get serious… I'd like you to be… safe." _Oh God._ Charlie was giving me the safe sex talk. I was pretty sure both our faces were identically red right now.

After a ridiculously awkward silence, I mumbled, "Sure, Dad." I felt grateful that Charlie cared enough to risk shaming us both.

Following another few minutes of conversation, where Charlie kept asking for Dillon's license plate number, so he could run it through the system, we said our goodbyes before hanging up. I flopped back on my pillows, rehashing the talk I just had with Charlie. It was so nice to see him finally moving on and grabbing his happiness after all this time. Maybe Leah was right. It sure looked like we would become stepsisters someday. I looked forward to it.

* * *

The following morning I awoke to Liz leaning over me. "Morning, hooker," She greeted me, grinning ear to ear.

Brushing her hair out of my face, I murmured, "Morning."

Liz sauntered over to my open closet door and pulled out an outfit, holding it up for my inspection. "Here's your outfit for today."

"What's today?" I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes and yawning.

Liz eyed me with disbelief. "Don't tell me you forgot." After being met with my blank stare, Liz explained. "The Green Monster boat race is today."

The groggy fog rolled away from my mind and I figured out what Liz was talking about. _Dillon's race_. "Oh, right." Untangling my blankets from my legs, I stood to my feet and strolled into the bathroom. A glance at the clock alerted me to the time with was ten o'clock. I'd overslept.

Liz followed me into the bathroom and hovered around me while I brushed my teeth and showered. "I can't believe you forgot. I've been up for hours, picking out our outfits and drinking coffee. _Lots and lots of coffee_." Liz sang the last part while bouncing excitedly on her heels with pent up energy.

An excited Liz was difficult enough to deal with but a high on caffeine Liz would be impossible to keep from climbing the walls. She was wearing white t-shirt, with the word _Dartmouth_ written in green across the front, and a pair of dark green shorts. Her brown hair was pulled away from her face and tied with a green scarf. Upon the inspection of my bed, I noted that I had an identical outfit waiting for me.

Despite Liz's protests, I opted for jeans instead of the green short-shorts and left my hair loose. I slipped on my green and white trainers then we made our way to the kitchen.

Ryan and Taylor met us in the living room, wearing their forest green Dartmouth sport shirts and jeans. Zach was still slumbering in his bed as he rarely awoke before noon on a Saturday. However, he promised to grace us with his presence sometime in the afternoon.

As Liz pushed me toward the door, I whined, "But I haven't had my breakfast yet." My stomach grumbled in agreement.

"We'll get something at the race," Liz supplied, and I pouted in annoyance. _But I'm hungry now._

Once in Ryan's SUV, Taylor slipped me one of his energy bars and I smiled in thanks. Ryan pulled out of the parking lot and drove us to the Connecticut River, where the race was being held. We found parking close to the river, alighted from the car then followed the crowd of people walking to the regatta.

Apparently, Liz wasn't lying when she said we would find stuff to eat at the race. Looking around, I observed that many of Hanover's local eateries had stalls set up with various delicacies on sale. Immediately, everyone made a beeline for the hotdog stand, navigating through the crowd of hungry rowing fans. Hotdogs and soda in hand, we located an empty spot in the grass then sat down to eat and watch the various races. The women's lightweight race began, and I still hadn't seen Dillon yet. The mass of spectators were dressed in their respective school colors, representing their visiting colleges. Clearly, we weren't the only ones struck with school spirit.

After finishing our hotdogs, Taylor turned to me, "Do you want to take a walk?"

"Um… okay." I grabbed hold of the offered hand and he helped me to my feet. Liz and Ryan exchanged smirking glances as they watched us go.

He threw an arm around my shoulder as we strolled farther and farther away from the throng. The trees lining the river were already showing signs of fall. Their foliage were a painted with hues of yellows, orange and red. Everything had a magical appearance. We stopped by a large tree and Taylor released my shoulder, walking a few steps away from me. Staring at the water in silence, I assumed Taylor had something on his mind.

His voice drew my attention, "What happened between us the night we got our tattoos?"

_Shit! Does he remember?_ My heart sped up in my chest. Trying to keep my voice even, I replied, "What do you mean? We got drunk and passed out. Why are you bringing this up now?"

He turned to face at me, pinning me with his stare. "Because lately I've been having these dreams… only they don't feel like dreams. They feel more like memories," Taylor murmured unsurely.

I forced a smirk onto my face in an attempt to poke fun. "So you're having sex dreams about me?"

Taylor refused to take the bait. "Do you remember anything from that night?" He took one step toward me and I fought the impulse to take a step back.

"No, I was way too drunk. I must have blacked out or something," I spoke hurriedly.

"Now, why don't I believe you?" Taylor was a predator again as he advanced another step.

In spite of my endeavor to appear brave, I moved one step backwards. "I-I'm telling you the truth," I stammered. I really didn't want to admit to remembering anything because then there would be awkwardness between us. We came way too close to crossing the line that night. Plus, I knew Taylor would feel like he took advantage of me which really wasn't the case. Just thinking about the way I'd assaulted his shirt was enough to make me blush. We took advantage of each other.

Whatever Taylor was about to say was cut off by someone unexpected. "Hey there, Izzy."

Taylor and I stilled then twisted our heads to see Preston walking in our direction. His grey eyes took in our scene with amused interest in them. I managed a quiet greeting. "Hi, Preston."

"Am I interrupting something?" Preston asked with slightly raised eyebrows and a small smirk.

"No not at all." I hoped no one detected the slight tremor in my voice.

"Well, Dillon's been looking for you, but his race is about to start, so he sent me to find you. He wants to make sure you're at the Ledyard Bridge in time to witness him in his winning triumph." As Preston spoke, his eyes kept darting between me and Taylor.

"Okay, then. Let's go." As we all walked briskly back to the crowd together, I risked a quick peek at Taylor's face. By the stubborn look in his eyes, I knew that our discussion was far from over. We joined up with Liz and Ryan then continued on our way to the bridge.

Once there, Liz began to snap away, taking pictures with her camera. The gun went off, signaling the start of the heavyweight race. The spectators began to cheer as they caught the first glimpses of their teams coming around the river bend. From where we stood, we were already able to determine the results of the race. Dartmouth was in the lead with Boston University in second and MIT in third. In the end, Dartmouth made a strong finish crossing the finish line ahead of the other teams.

We joined the crowd of congratulators as they gathered down by the river's edge. The teams were now climbing out of their boats. Dillon and his teammates were all smiles as they were slapped on the back and greeted with applause. Dillon spotted me through the crowd. He then made his was over with a tired but triumphant expression on his face.

My giggles were genuine as he lifted me off my feet in a hug and spun me around. Gently lowering me to my feet, Dillon surprised the hell out of me by planting a kiss on my lips right in front of the entire crowd. I was too stunned to do anything but stand there. The whoops and cheers around us, clued me in to the fact that everyone was watching our romantic spectacle. _Oh God. Everyone!_

Redness engulfed my face as I pulled away. I was completely embarrassed, but Dillon was oblivious, keeping a possessive arm wrapped around my shoulder as more people came up to congratulate him. Liz smiled away, taking pictures of us. Ryan stood off to the side, arms crossed over his large chest; rolling his eyes and with a scowl on his face while Taylor… Well, Taylor looked like he was mad enough to come take another swing at Dillon. His eyes sparked with barely contained fury as he stared at Dillon.

My eyes found Preston's smug ones on the crowd and I realized what just happened. Because of Dillon's public display, I had just been labeled. If anyone one had any doubts before, Dillon definitely cleared them up. I was officially Dillon Buchanon's girlfriend. I'd just been peed on in front of the entire school!

* * *

**A/N:** How did you enjoy Zach's striptease and Liz's wacky theory on his depression?

What do you think about Charlie's call?

Looks like Taylor's starting to have some memory flashes of his own.

And Dillon's staking a claim...Interesting.

**Coming up next:** Bella and Dillon argue, then come to an agreement.

Leah gives Bella a call and Zach butts in.

Bella and Taylor reconnect then disconnect.

Bella has the hots for a smoking hot vampire.

**A/N:** Due to a request, I've created a forum for you guys to discuss AML together.

The link is on my profile.

About updating this **Thursday**... I'll try.


	36. I Touched His Snake

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 36

It had been one month since the regatta incident and I was still dealing with the fallout. I was mortified when, just a few days after the regatta, Liz dropped a copy of the _Dartmouth Review_ on my lap. A photographer from the school newspaper had been at the river covering the race and captured my kiss with Dillon on camera. I stared in shock at the front page picture of Dillon kissing me while the crowd looked on cheering. The headline caption read _'A Champion gets his due reward'_. We looked like a happy couple celebrating a big win. I couldn't have been any more embarrassed.

Liz thought it was cute but I didn't share her excitement. She'd even gone as far as to have the picture framed and placed in my room. I thought Dillon and me were just having fun, keeping things light with no strings, but he thought differently. We'd even had a fight about it after the race when Dillon mentioned that he wanted us to be exclusive. I explained to him my assumption that we would be allowed to see other people. He couldn't comprehend why I wasn't over the moon about his news, when _so_ many of the female population were already jealous of me.

His comment pissed me off, and I informed Dillon that if he believed that he was _such_ a good catch, then he should go date someone else. Realizing that we were on our way to ending before beginning, Dillon quickly apologized saying that if I wanted us to have an open relationship, then it was okay. After some thinking, I caved and agreed to date only him. I didn't want to be kissing Dillon and wondering how many girls he'd just kissed with the same mouth. That would be all kinds of nasty.

Taylor had been distant with me ever since the race. We'd always enjoyed a close and, at times, physical friendship but now, it felt like there was an invisible wall between us. And its name was Dillon. Also, our relationship changed in subtle ways. He didn't wrap his arm around my shoulder anymore and I no longer played with his hair. Taylor wouldn't even bother to come by the apartment when Dillon was there. Things were different between us and I missed the way we used to be. If the others noticed the change, they didn't mention it, at least, not to our faces. Ryan and Zach grudgingly accepted his presence at the apartment, but they never tried to make conversation with him.

The physical aspect of my relationship with Dillon was slowly progressing. It seemed like my body was gradually starting to tolerate his hands on me. Even though it still didn't feel right, I consoled myself by saying that it wasn't supposed to. I convinced myself that, the things that felt right would only break my heart later on. I told myself that I was fine with less. Less was enough, good, safe.

We made out a lot in the backseat of his Jaguar and the bedroom he shared with Preston. But we were rarely afforded any privacy in a house filled with rowdy frat boys. There was always someone banging on the door or barging in, despite the, _I've got a girl in my room_ sock on the doorknob. So, we usually hung out in my room, listened to music and kissed. It was nice as I'd never gotten to do that with Edward or Jacob.

It was on one such night that Dillon came over to the apartment under the guise of studying. Imagine my surprise when he showed up at my bedroom door, without any of his books. I assumed Liz let him into the apartment. Looking up from my books, I asked, "Did you lose your books on your way over here?"

Dillon's reply was a sneaky smile as he shut the door behind him, locking it. There really wasn't any need for him to do that. Liz and the others never intruded my room when I had Dillon over.

He joined me on the bed, pushing my books out of the way. "If I'd admitted that I just want to see you, would you have let me come over?"

He had me there. "Probably not," I smirked.

We usually got sidetracked and I never got any studying done when he showed up bookless. As he moved my books out of the way, I whined, "Dillon, I have to study."

"Later." Dillon murmured against my lips. He rolled me onto my back then climbed on top of me. _Looks_ _like I'll have to stay up late to get my studying done._

Bringing his lips down on mine, he kissed me hungrily. He tasted like beer and it was distracting. I tried to will my body into submission. In the back of my mind, it occurred to me that I shouldn't have to try so hard at this, but I pushed the thought away. I turned my full attention toward kissing him back, rubbing his back through his t-shirt with my hands.

After a few moments of this, I felt his hand toying with the material at the bottom of my tank top. This was usually the part where I pushed his hands away, but that night I was determined to go a bit further. When he realized that I wasn't going to stop him, Dillon smiled into the kiss and began to slowly slip his hand under my top. His hands felt a little cold against my skin, chilling me slightly. Bit by bit, his hand crept up my stomach and just as his hand was about to close in on my breast-

_Bang, bang, bang!_

Ryan pounded loudly on my door. I could hear the annoyance in his voice as he shouted through the door. "Hey, Izzy! Open up. Leah's on the phone." I knew he hated to come anywhere near my room when Dillon was here. Probably thought he might one day overhear us having sex.

I remembered I'd left my phone in the living room earlier. Dillon climbed off me, sighing exasperatedly as I said, "Sorry, Dillon, I have to take this. Can we pick this up some other time?" Leah's calls typically lasted an hour or so, and I didn't want him to just wait around while we caught up.

Dillon's face was clearly agitated as he sighed, "Sure."

Pressing a light kiss to my forehead, he strode toward the door while I followed behind him. Dillon opened the door and Ryan stood there in the hallway, looking ever so pleased to see him leaving. Ryan moved aside, allowing Dillon to pass then passed me the phone. Ryan then padded across the hall and into his bedroom. He shot me a smile before closing the door. I assumed Liz was already inside waiting for him, and I didn't expect to see them for the remainder of the night.

"Hi, Leah," I answered, sitting on the edge of my bed.

"Hey, Bella," Leah greeted me.

Deciding to cut right to the chase, I probed, "How are things? Or more importantly, how is dating going?" I couldn't help but smile into the phone. _I bet it's been just crappy._

"Shitty as hell," Leah grumbled.

"Aw, that's a shame," I cooed with false sympathy.

"So, how is everybody?" Leah tried to sound nonchalant but she didn't fool me one bit. I knew she was really asking about how Zach was doing.

"Everyone's fine. Zach still asks about you, you know?" I informed her slyly.

"Oh, he does?" She tried to downplay the interest in her voice, but I heard it anyway.

I suddenly remembered the weird message Zach asked me to pass along, the next time I spoke to Leah. "Hey, Zach said to tell you that Suzie Q misses you."

Leah laughed heartily, "I bet she does."

I was curious. I wanted to know what happened between them. "Zach's been pretty down and depressed since you left. He hasn't been himself at all. Do you know he hasn't brought home one girl since you two slept together?" I informed her.

"Really?" Leah questioned in a surprised tone.

"Yeah. What did you do to him, Leah?" I paused as an insane thought occurred to me and I blurted out, "Did you break his penis?"

"What! Where the hell did you get that idea from?" Leah managed to ask in between laughs.

"Liz." I confessed, feeling a little silly that I'd even considered Liz's asinine idea. _How do you even break a penis?_

"I should have known. Look, I didn't break his penis."

Something happened between them. "Then why is Zach all celibate and depressed? You must have done something to hook him?" I probed.

Leah paused for a moment then admitted reluctantly, "I touched his snake."

My nose wrinkled in disgust. "What- Ew, Leah! Never mind, I don't want to know." _Ugh!_ I was _so_ not interested in Leah's pet names for Zach's penis.

"I'm not talking about his dick, you pervert… I'm talking about Suzie Q… I did a little naked dance with Suzie Q for him."

_Oh._

It was no wonder Zach was going through Leah-withdrawals. She'd found a way to incorporate two of Zach's most favorite things, Suzie Q and sex.

"How are things between you and that Dillon guy?" Leah turned the tables on me and probed.

"Things are going all right. We're progressing," I answered slowly, choosing my words carefully.

"I still can't believe you're dating that guy. When we changed the pact, I thought you were going to take a poke at Taylor."

Deliberately choosing to ignore her Taylor comment, I rolled my eyes asking, "What's wrong with Dillon?"

"He seems a kinda shifty to me. I don't trust him. Plus, I like Taylor better," Leah grumbled.

Her words were not the least bit surprising. Now, I was certain Zach had something to do with Leah's _Team Taylor_ stance. "You don't trust anybody."

Leah barked out a short laugh. "You know it."

Not really wanting to get into a Taylor based discussion with Leah, I changed the topic. "So, how are things with Emily?"

Leah let out an unladylike snort. "As if you don't already know. I know she still calls you."

The last time I'd spoken to Emily, she told me that Leah seemed different since her return. She didn't appear quite as angry as before. "She does still call me, but I'd like to hear things from your perspective."

"Well, things are… slightly better between Emily and me. I don't know… I finally feel like I'm ready to move on." I noticed she only spoke about Emily. That meant Leah and Sam were still at odds.

I was so happy to hear that Leah and Emily were trying to become friends again. "That's great, Leah."

Leah's voice sounded hopeful. "I'm not going to say, it still doesn't hurt to see them together, but it doesn't hurt as much as it used to." I had the feeling that Leah's new take on things had a lot to do with Zach.

Suddenly feeling thirsty, I decided to go into the kitchen to get myself a drink of water. "How are things with you and Sam?"

Before disappearing into the kitchen, I caught a glimpse of Taylor and Zach watching TV in the living room. I didn't think anyone else was here.

"Sam's an ass. Do you know he's all bent out of shape about Zach?" Grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge, I froze.

"What? How does Sam know about Zach?" I thought not being able to think about me when she was phased also meant that she wouldn't be able to think about anything related to me. Like my friends.

"Jacob's injunction stops me from thinking about _you_, Bella. As long as it has nothing to do with you, the injunction doesn't stop me from thinking about anyone else," Leah explained, and I thought I detected a bit of smugness in her voice.

"Leah? Are you torturing Sam on purpose?" I wouldn't put it past her. Hell, if I were in her shoes, I might have done the same.

"I swear I don't do it on purpose, Bella. I can't help it if Zach crosses my mind once in a while when I'm in wolf form. But can you blame me if I'm not exactly saddened that Sam's having a hard time with me dating?" Leah defended.

"I guess not." I relented. It wasn't the perfect situation and after everything Leah was allowed a little payback. But I was a little bewildered by Sam's reaction. "Leah, I thought Sam being imprinted meant that no one but Emily mattered anymore."

"That's not exactly correct, Bella. Sam still has feelings for me, but the imprint pushes them aside. Although he can't act on them anymore, they're still there. The imprint's just stronger." I could tell that it hurt Leah to have to explain that to me.

Finally, I was able to understand why Jacob got mad when Charlie mentioned my visit to the Cullens. Even though he'd imprinted, he still felt something for me. I decided not to dwell on that. He was imprinted and there was nothing either one of us could do to change it.

As I took a sip of water, Leah continued, "Sam can feel however he wants. I'm done. I'm going to try to get on with my life and he's not going make me feel guilty about it. Not after all the shit he put me through," she finished firmly.

"Good for you, Leah. You deserve to be happy." As I turned around with the intention of heading back to my room, I saw Zach standing in the doorway.

I wondered how long he'd been there listening to our conversation. "Is that Leah, you're talking to?" He queried.

I nodded mutely, and he crossed the room and plucked the phone from my hand before I could protest.

"Leah?" He spoke into the phone.

Apparently, Leah didn't say anything because Zach spoke again. "Come on, Lee. The least you could do is talk to me."

I watched as his broad shoulders sagged slightly in relief and I assumed she answered him. Zach turned around, realizing I was still standing there, his hazel eyes narrowed slightly. I read the message loud and clear. _Beat it._

Huffing in indignation, I turned on my heels and entered the living room. I was fresh out of the shower when Dillon called to ask me to come over, so I didn't get to brush my hair. While scanning the room for my hair brush, my eyes landed on Taylor. He was sitting on the couch, feet outstretched, with the remote in his hand. He was wearing a white, close fitting wife beater and grey sweatpants.

Taylor's green eyes were dark and intense as they roamed my body. I became acutely aware of my barely there tank top and tiny shorts that showed off my legs and butt. A pleasurable sensation coursed through my body and I pushed it aside, reminding myself that Taylor had seen me in much less. Discovering my hairbrush on the other side of the room, I strode over to collect it, all the while feeling his eyes on me.

Pulling my scrunchie out of my hair, I settled on the floor in front of the couch. Turning my attention toward the TV, I saw that my favorite show was about to begin. There was something about _True Blood_ that intrigued me so much. No surprise there. The show was about vampires, shape-shifters, werewolves and the human girl who was caught in between all worlds. Whether it was the hilarious Lafayette or the drop-dead sexy Eric that did it for me, I didn't know, but the show had me hooked. The show's character Bill, reminded me of Edward a little. They were both so caught up in their gentlemanly manners and old fashion ways. The similarities between that show and my life were uncanny. From the mindreading to the love triangle with Sookie's best friend, the shape shifter. Briefly, I wondered if the writer of the book knew any supernatural creatures personally.

Staring at the TV, I picked up my brush, and ran it through my hair in slow, lazy strokes. I was in no hurry to return to my studying, it could wait until after my show. I was so caught up in my musings about Eric that I was startled when Taylor spoke up. "Can I?"

I looked over my shoulder to find Taylor perched at the edge of the couch, watching me with an unidentifiable emotion in his eyes. I blushed faintly and bit my lip in contemplation. _Friends could do stuff like this right? Brush each other's hair._

Nodding my consent, I placed the brush in his large hands. I was rattled when he slipped off the chair to sit behind me with his long legs on either side of my own. My body was tense at first but Taylor's hands were gentle as he began to wield the brush through my hair. Gradually, my body began to relax, feeling the pressure of his tender strokes, from my scalp to the ends of my hair. Occasionally, he would run his fingers through my hair strands, along with the brush, creating a bunch of worrisome tingles. I closed my eyes, giving myself over to his delicate administrations.

It was around this time that the opening song for True Blood began to play.

_When you came in the air went out,_

_And every shadow filled up with doubt._

_I don't know who you think you are,_

_But before the night is through,_

_I wanna do bad things with you._

I fought back a groan. Before now, I never realized just how sexy those lyrics were. Our sensual moment was interrupted by Zach when he strolled out of the kitchen. "Okay. Bye, Lee." Flipping my phone close, he paused as his eyes landed upon our intimate positions on the floor.

His face broke out into an irritating grin, causing me to frown. _Why the hell was he smiling at us like that?_ "Um… I'm just gonna go ahead and leave now." Pointing his thumb over his shoulder, he back away from us slowly. All the while grinning like Shrek's donkey.

Seeing that he still had something that belonged to me, I said, "Don't take my phone with you."

"Oh, all right." Zach's face looked slightly disappointed as he placed the phone on the table. I gathered he'd planned to dig through my phone for Leah's number. But luckily for Leah, my quick thinking had thwarted his plans. If Leah wanted him to have her number then she would have given it to him.

Zach exited the apartment, leaving us alone again. As much as I tried to concentrate on my show, I couldn't. I kept thinking about how much simpler things would be if I could switch Dillon and Taylor's positions in my life. _Dillon could be Liz's brother and Taylor could be my boyfriend. _That way, if I attempted to have a serious relationship and screwed things up, then I would only be losing a boyfriend, and not my newfound family.

After a moment, the gentle sensations of my hair being tugged on ceased. I watched as Taylor set the brush aside on the floor. Assuming he was finished, I waited for him to return to his seat on the couch. Another pleasurable shiver racked my body as I felt his fingers slide across the back of my neck. His movements were agonizingly slow as he pushed my hair over one shoulder, leaving my bare neck exposed. I relished the feel of his rough hands as they slid along my arms, leaving goose pimples in their wake.

My breath came in short pants as I was abruptly engulfed in Taylor's strong arms and pulled against his hard chest. Warm breath fanned my skin as he buried his face against my neck. My heartbeat accelerated in my chest.

Lips tickled my skin as he murmured, "I missed you."

And just like that, I melted. Allowing my body to relax into his warmth, I replied, "I missed you too."

There was no more Dillon, no more weirdness and no more distance between us. Everything else fell away and we were just Izzy and Taylor. It was unknown as to how long we remained sitting like that, in companionable silence. It seemed like hours but I imagined it was only about ten minutes or so.

As much as I was enjoying the silence, I couldn't help but ask, "Taylor?"

I felt a deep rumble in his chest as he replied, "Hmm?"

Craning my head in his direction, I inquired softly, "We have an odd relationship, don't we?"

"I suppose." Taylor's tone was reflective as his lips moved against my shoulder.

Odd was the only word available to describe our friendship at the moment. Things were different between us right from the get go. We'd always been more than just friends but never quite romantically involved. We existed somewhere in between. I knew for a fact that Dillon would neither like nor understand the nature of our relationship. Hell, even I had trouble understanding it.

Taylor's lips left a burning trail on my skin as he made his way up my neck. His muscular arms tightened around my torso briefly just before he pressed a searing kiss right behind my ear. Pressing my lips together, I held back a moan that threatened to escape from my mouth. I marveled at how one of Taylor's innocent kisses riled me up so much more than a full-on make out session with Dillon ever did.

He planted one final kiss on the side of my forehead, sliding his hands from around my ribs. I blushed as one arm brushed against my breast. Tentatively, Taylor eased himself from behind me and stood to his feet. Green eyes stared down at me with a hungry flame burning in their depths.

"Goodnight, Isabella." His voice sounded deeper than usual.

From my place on the floor, I peered up at him through my lashes. "Goodnight, Taylor," I murmured quietly with a small smile.

After offering me an answering smile, Taylor turned and left the apartment. Returning my attention to my show, I watched as the gorgeous Eric tricked the _oh so gullible_ Sookie into believing he was dying. Eric lay on the floor with his hands laced behind his neck as Sookie sucked on his chest, frantically trying to get the silver bullets out. His smug eyes briefly made contact with the camera and I giggled, "Oh, Eric. You dirty boy."

My mind wandered to Taylor toned chest and I pondered what it would be like if we switched places with Sookie and Eric. _Leaving out the bullets and blood, of course._

_I wanna do bad things with you.

* * *

_

One week later, I was sitting in the Dining Hall with Liz having a cappuccino until my next class. Liz was chatting excitedly about her new cool friend, Keisha. Keisha was a beautiful, Jamaican born woman with skin the color of cocoa. She and Liz became friends after she hit on Liz in one of her Art History classes. Liz turned her down, saying that she was a _huge_ fan of the penis and just could not see herself getting down with the _puss_. They hit it off as friends right away.

"So, do you know what you're going to wear to the keg party tonight?" The Alpha Theta's were throwing a keg party tonight, and we were all planning on being there.

"I haven't decided yet."

"Oh hell. Look who's headed our way now." Liz alerted me with an irritated roll of her eyes.

Amber and her two flunkies were headed in the direction of our table.

"Well, if it isn't Dartmouth's own social climber," Amber addressed me.

I lazily sipped my cappuccino and resisted the urge to sigh. _What the hell is this bitch's problem with me?_ In an effort to remain silent, I pressed my lips together. I decided to take the high road and not answer her. Maybe she would take the hint and go away. No such luck.

Liz sneered in my defense, "Shouldn't you be on your knees somewhere giving head, right now?"

"You know, it's a real shame that Taylor is stuck with such a classless sister like you." Amber turned to Liz and shot back.

Through worried eyes, I watched as Liz's green eyes hardened, balling her hands into tight fists. Amber's classless comment really hit a nerve with Liz. I grew a tad bit worried for Amber's safety and warned silently, _easy Amber. Don't let the Gucci handbag and Hermes scarf fool you. Liz is a gangster and will not hesitate to beat you down._

I recalled stories Liz told me about when she attended the academy in Boston. Some of the girls used to make fun of her all the time, calling her low class and the maid's daughter. Until one day, she finally snapped and beat the crap out of them. In the end, her father had to make a hefty _donation_ to prevent her from getting expelled. But no one ever called her names again.

My patience was beginning to run thin. "Is there some point to your being here, Amber?"

"I just wanted to let you all know that I'm taken." _Taken?_ That was her big news? That some poor fool had fallen into her clutches. Then I wondered why she would come here to tell us this.

Just as I was about to ask what the hell she was talking about, Liz interjected, "You _look_ like you've been taken, in every way a girl can be… _taken_."

_Damn Liz!_

My eyes widened and I couldn't help the vindictive giggle that slipped past my lips. The sound of my laughter drew the attention of Amber and her cheerleaders, causing them to glare at me. If she didn't want to talk with us then she was free to leave. Which reminded me, why the hell was she talking to us in the first place?

"Just say what you have to say then move the hell on, Amber. We have places to be." I had a class starting in a few minutes and Amber was beginning to get on my nerves.

Amber cooed with false sympathy, "Aw… What's the matter, stamp tramp? Not in a good mood?" A malicious smile appeared on her face. "I take it you've already heard the wonderful news then."

I sighed wearily, "What news?"

"Taylor's taking me to the Alpha Theta keg party tonight," Amber announced triumphantly, flipping her blonde curls over her shoulder.

A frown creased my eyebrows. "What?"

"Don't tell me Taylor didn't tell you." At the obvious surprise on my face, Amber taunted, "Well, I guess you two aren't that close after all."

Liz refused to believe her. "Oh please." She turned to me. "Clearly this bitch is delusional, Izzy." Liz said, trying to dismiss Amber's claims but I detected a flicker of doubt in her eyes.

"Believe what you want. I guess you'll see us together at the party tonight." With her news delivered, Amber flounced off with her minions trailing behind her.

_Amber? I couldn't believe Taylor would ask Amber out_. But Amber victorious smile was enough to convince me.

I imagined him kissing her and it was enough to make me feel sick. Meanwhile, Liz was looking at me sympathetically, reading my face. I began to feel a little angry at her. After all, she was the one who insisted that Taylor would never be interested in Amber. Then I realized that I couldn't be mad at Liz just because Taylor proved me right. I began to feel nauseous again.

Hastily, I began to assemble my books. "I don't want to be late for my class." I still had fifteen minutes until my class was supposed to start but I just couldn't sit here anymore.

"Izzy, wait. I'm sure it's just some misunderstanding." Liz tried to reassure me but she sounded like she was trying to reassure herself too.

"Whatever, Liz. I've got to get to class." I grabbed my books off the table then stood up, slinging my bag over my shoulder. Exiting the Dining Hall, I tried to convince myself that I didn't care that Taylor was dating Amber. Taylor could do whatever he wanted. He wasn't mine and I had no claim over him whatsoever.

* * *

**A/N:** Leah hooked Zach by touching his snake.

So Sam's jealous. I think we all grieve for him. (Sarcasm)

Dillon and Bella are exclusive... sort of.

Taylor and Amber? What the hell is going on there?

**Coming up next:**Bella and Taylor argue.

Ryan plants seeds of doubt in Bella's mind.

More drinking at the keg party.

Bella and Dillon argue and she begins to feel unwell at the party.

You know what to do if you want an early update before Thursday.**Review!**


	37. What the hell is a Tizzy?

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 37

All throughout my class, I had trouble concentrating. I barely heard a word the lecturer said and my classmates kept asking me if everything was okay. My distraction was clearly visible on my face. I couldn't stop thinking about Taylor and Amber, wondering how long he had been seeing her. Then to make everything worse, he didn't even tell me. I had to find it out from that piranha. Didn't he know Amber would dump him the second she found somebody richer?

He could get hurt. _No scratch that._ He _would_ get hurt.

_Why couldn't he date a nice girl?_

_What kind of name is Amber anyway? Amber's a color, not a name._

It was these thoughts that floated around my head as I drove back to the apartment, under an overcast sky. By the time I pushed my way through the door, I was angry. And seeing Taylor calmly sitting on the sofa watching TV alone pissed me off even more. Picking up on my mood as I dumped my bag on the floor, he measured my agitation with raised eyebrows.

Any thought I had about going straight to my room went out the door when Taylor asked, "What's up with you?"

Glaring at him, I snapped, "What's up with me? What is wrong with you? Amber Hodge?"

A slight frown creased his brow when understanding dawned. "So, I take it you've heard."

"Oh, you bet your ass I heard. I heard it right from that dragon's mouth. Why didn't you tell me or better yet, how long have you been sneaking around with her?" _Behind my back,_ I added silently.

His lips tightened into a firm line as he muttered, "I'm not sneaking around with her."

"So you admit it. You're seeing her?" I began to pace back and forth. "Jeez, Taylor. You couldn't find a decent girl? Even a call girl would be better than Amber. At least you end up paying up front with the call girl."

"I am not seeing Amber." Taylor's frown deepened as he stared at me.

"Are you sure? Because the way she was going on today, I thought you were about to propose to her," I grumbled sarcastically.

Lifting up the remote, Taylor turned off the TV then set it aside. His voice was tense as he explained, "Look, she tracked me down and asked me to the party tonight."

"And you said yes?" I looked at him incredulously.

"She asked. I was bored." By his terse rely, I could tell that Taylor was also getting angry.

I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. I felt the need to ask again. "But Amber, Taylor? Really? You couldn't find _anyone_ better?"

In a flash, Taylor was on his feet. His green eyes hardened and voice serious as he asked, "You really want to go there with me?"

Halting in my pacing, I stared at Taylor in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

He advanced on me slowly, stopping just a few feet away from where I stood. "I'm talking about Dillon Buchanon."

"What about him?" Staring up at his towering form, I queried.

"You talk to me about deserving better and yet, you're dating a drunken frat boy?" Taylor snapped.

Bristling with indignation, I retorted, "Dillon is not a drunken frat boy. Besides, this isn't about me, this is about you."

Taylor laughed bitterly, "Of course, it's not about you. Because, if it was, then you would have to start thinking about what you really want."

Unable to take the intensity of his stare, I turned away from him. "I have what I want." I wasn't expecting some life altering romance from Dillon. Twice before I had life changing romances and when each of them ended, I almost lost my mind.

"But is it what you deserve?" Taylor inquired gently stepped closer to me. I could feel the heat of his nearness on my back.

"Why are we talking about me?" I asked wearily. How did the topic get so off course?

"Because you deserve better than Dillon Buchanon, and for the life of me, I don't understand why you can't see that." He brushed passed me, heading for the door. Blinking back the tears, I watched him leave, slamming the door shut behind him. And not for the first time, I wished. I wished things were different. _I wish_…

* * *

Later that night, I was dressed in my skinny jeans, faux leather jacket with a red top beneath it. My hair was gathered back into a simple, low ponytail. I would've worn it down but Dillon said he liked it better in a ponytail. As Dillon was busy setting up the party with his frat brothers, I ended up catching a ride to the frat house with Liz and Ryan.

Taylor left ahead of us, to go pick up the vulture, and Zach chose to stay home, as he was expecting a phone call from Leah on our house phone. I wondered how he managed to rope her into calling. She still hadn't given him her phone number yet but that didn't stop him from hijacking my phone every time she called to talk to me. Before leaving the apartment, I made sure to tease him about becoming monogamous. Something he'd said he would never be.

The night air was slightly chilly as we began our trek from the car to the frat house. Liz slowed her steps to walk beside me. "So, is everything okay between you and Taylor?" She kept her voice low as she snuck a peek at Ryan's muscled figure, walking in front of us. It didn't look like he was listening to us.

Keeping my voice even and face impassive, I replied, "Of course everything is fine. Why wouldn't it be?"

We hadn't spoken a word to each other since our argument earlier. My dating Dillon was not the same as Taylor dating Amber. I didn't see what one thing had to do with the other anyway. I wasn't looking for a commitment but Taylor was. And he wouldn't get it from Amber. Dating her was just plain stupid.

Liz wasn't the least bit fooled by my calm façade. She rolled her eyes, clearly exasperated that I even attempted to mislead her.

"Oh, please. You think we didn't notice you two aren't talking to each other?" Liz gave an adjusting tug at her skin-tight jeans that molded to every inch of her long legs and butt. Her close fitting top clung to her breasts and showed off her cleavage. Ryan scowled when he first saw her outfit tonight, saying he would have to work extra hard to keep from punching out sleazy frat boys.

Before I could open my mouth to confirm or deny her suspicions, Ryan supplied, "Yeah, we know you two are fighting and you guys need to knock it off." He slowed down, falling into step with us. Draping an arm over my shoulder, Ryan gave me a playful wink.

Wrapping an arm around my waist, Liz complained, "I agree. I'm going to get an ulcer if you guys keep acting like this. You're interfering with the mellow vibe of our group. I want Tizzy back." She ended with an adorable pout of her crimson painted lips.

"If you get an ulcer, it won't be because of Taylor and me. It will be- Wait a minute…_Tizzy_?" _What the hell is a Tizzy?_

Liz grinned cheekily at me before going on to explain, "Yeah, it's what we call you guys. You know, like Brangelina."

For a moment, I stared silently at Liz in astonishment. I was at a complete loss for words. "Wow, Liz. And that doesn't embarrass you at all?"

"Yeah, it kinda does." Liz admitted in chagrin. She shook her head, dismissing her shame. "But that's not the issue here. You guys are fighting about Amber, aren't you?" I frowned, shaking my head.

"Your brother tried to compare my going out with Dillon to his _whatever_ with Amber. Our situations are not the same. For one thing, Dillon is a decent guy and Amber is a viper." I sighed exasperatedly. In the distance, we could hear loud music coming from the frat house. We were almost there.

"Decent guy my ass." Ryan snorted softly, resulting in Liz shooting a withering glare at him. He clammed up pretty quickly after that.

Liz leaned into me, slinking her arm around mine. "Look, I know you two will work out your issues. It will take a lot more than Amber Hodge to come between you and my brother." Her expression darkened. "My brother is an idiot for going on this date with her."

"Oh, I don't know, Liz. I'm thinking he might have the right idea." At our flabbergasted expressions, Ryan continued, "I mean, he _is_ single and Amber's practically throwing herself at him. Maybe he should see where it goes."

"You don't mean…" _That Taylor should sleep with Amber. _My voice trailed off, allowing my mind to complete the sentence.

Ryan was definitely amused but my reaction. "Why not?"

"B-because Taylor's not like that," I stammered with a frown.

"Taylor's a guy, Izzy. We're all like that," Ryan said with a debauched wiggle of his eyebrows.

"My boyfriend the pervert. And you wonder why I whack him in the back of the head so much." Liz laughed deprecatingly, reaching a hand around me to land a pinch on Ryan's back. His subsequent hiss confirmed that Liz had successfully delivered her message of _shut the hell up!_ Meanwhile, I was left feeling completely unnerved by Ryan's statement.

_Taylor wasn't like that, was he?_

I wasn't selfish enough to want to keep him for myself. Taylor drew admiring looks wherever he went. It was impossible to overlook his large, intimidating, reticent figure in any crowd. Eventually, I knew he would start dating someone. But, why was he wasting his time on Amber? He was much too good for her.

Fifteen minutes later, we were standing in the hot, crowded lounge of the Alpha Thetas' frat house. Liz, Ryan and I stood in a corner, listening to blaring rap music and sipping Styrofoam cups filled with jungle juice. It was my first time having the beverage and I was enjoying it. It tasted delicious and fruity. Ryan warned me against having too many of it as it was known to pack a punch. The last time I saw Dillon, he was busy doing shirtless, keg stands with some of his frat brothers in the basement. I hoped he wouldn't overdo it with the drinking because he tended to get a bit too touchy-feely when drunk. And I really wasn't in the mood to witness another fight between him and Taylor.

A moment later, Liz poked me in the side, inclining her head slightly to the left. My eyes searched the room until they discovered Taylor, entering the house with Amber clinging to his arm like a life raft. I felt my lips tighten into a thin line. She was dressed in her usual skimpy, barely-there clothing. Her wide smile reminded me of a hyena's as she paraded Taylor around like a prized trophy. She continually leaned into him rubbing her breast against his arm. He remained unaffected by Amber's actions, keeping his face void of any emotion.

His eyes were weary as they scanned the room, presumably looking for us. We caught his eye as Ryan waved him over, and he wove his way through the crowd. Seeing that Amber was coming with him, Liz turned her head to me, stuck a finger in her mouth and pretended to gag. Raising a hand to my mouth, I bit back a giggle.

Coming to a stop in front of us, Amber smiled victoriously at me as she stroked his arm with her well-manicured fingers. Ignoring the urge to slap the crap out of her, I chugged down the last of my jungle juice. She was acting as if Taylor was hers. This was just one date. That bitch had no claim on him whatsoever and she never would, if I had anything to say about it.

Taylor's eyes roamed my figure, and I was made aware of that fact because of the heat, I'd taken off my jacket, leaving me in my thin, red camisole.

Amber's sultry voice greeted us, "Hey, guys. Isn't this party great?"

"Yeah, great," Liz mumbled, turning to look at me. She mouthed_; it was great before she got here._ A small smirk grew on my lips. I noticed Taylor still hadn't moved his eyes from me. Apparently, Amber noticed this too as she turned her attention on me.

Her blue eyes glinted maliciously as she purred, "Izzy, sweetie. Where's Dillon? Don't tell me he ditched you?"

Her expression changed from smug to shock when Liz snarled, "Listen here, skank. You're about one cunt hair away from me kicking your ass, so I suggest you try your best not to piss me off." Next to Liz, I heard Ryan stifle his snicker and I almost swallowed my tongue.

_Damn, I love this crazy chick._

That jungle juice was really having a potent effect on Liz's ability to censor herself. I think it was having a similar effect on me because I burst out laughing and I didn't give a rat's ass about appearing mean. Taylor's looked like he was annoyed at Liz's outburst but I saw his mouth twitch slightly in amusement. Amber, on the other hand, was not amused as she glared at me.

As my laughter died down, I wrapped my arm around Liz's waist, tugging at her. "Come on, Liz. Let's get ourselves a refill."

With one last glare at Amber, Liz allowed me to lead her away. Maneuvering our bodies through the masses, I spared a glance at Liz. Her lips were pressed into a thin line and her brows were furrowed in irritation. Amber usually got on her nerves but tonight she went too far by taking jabs at me. Liz had two rules. No one messed with her man or her family. And to Liz, I was family.

We refilled our cups, after making our way to the cooler and decided to hang out by the table to escape Amber. Taylor appeared just when we were refilling our cups for the third time.

"Hey," he greeted me awkwardly, and I nodded in reply.

Liz conveniently slipped away, disappearing into the crowd and I assumed she went to find Ryan.

"So, where's Dillon?"

"He's probably hanging upside down from a beer bong right now." I snorted and Taylor laughed.

I noticed Amber wasn't around and inquired, "Where's Amber?"

"Probably in the bathroom with Muffy and Brittany talking about puppies or jellybeans or whatever the hell it is you women talk about when you go to the bathroom _together_," Taylor answered with a slight wrinkle of his nose.

"Excuse me? _You women?_ That's one thing Liz could never get me to do with her." I laughed and he joined me, relieving the tension between us. It felt nice. We were us again. Liz was right, it would take a hell of a lot more than Amber to come between us.

Suddenly, a sickening voice broke through my inner musings. "Taylor, honey. There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you." Amber pushed her way through the crowd, coming to stand in front of us. She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him to the designated dance floor. "Come on, let's dance." I assumed she was trying to get him away from me.

Taylor didn't budge, looking at me with indecision on his face. It was clear that he didn't want to leave me alone. Amber smiled victoriously as I said, "It's fine." Maybe I should try to find Dillon. As soon as I completed the thought, Dillon appeared out of nowhere as if summoned. I was grateful that he was wearing a shirt this time.

"Hey, I've been looking for you everywhere." He frowned, seeing Taylor beside me and decided to rectify the situation. "Come on. We haven't danced all night."

He pulled me into the crowd of dancers just as T.I.'s _Live Your Life_ came on. I think I was beginning to feel the effects of my drinking as I bumped into Dillon. He righted me with a grin then pulled me toward him. "Somebody's tipsy."_ More like drunk._ I suspected I drank too much jungle juice.

"A little," I giggled. I spied Taylor dancing with Amber, several feet away from us. Through narrowed eyes, I observed the way Amber rubbed herself against Taylor and gritted my teeth. I was just a few seconds away from stomping over there and snatching her hands off of him when Dillon spun me around and I lost sight of them.

Dillon ran his hands up and down my back with a grin on his face that I immediately recognized. It was his _I'm horny and about to make my move _grin. "So, are you spending the night?"

"I hadn't planned on it," I admitted slowly. My head was really starting to hurt.

"Oh, come on, Izzy. You know you will eventually." There was that cocky smile that got on my nerves. I hated that he automatically assumed I would sleep with him. Even though, I planned to, it still irritated me.

"You know, every time you say that, _eventually_ gets a bit further away," I informed him, narrowing my eyes.

He didn't seem to hear me as he was too busy shooting smug looks over my shoulder. It didn't take a genius to guess who he was looking at. "Could you stop doing that?"

"Doing what?" Dillon asked, feigning innocence.

"You think I can't interpret the looks you keep giving Taylor? Why don't you grab the microphone from the DJ and scream _she's mine_? You know, just get it over with," I spoke sarcastically. My headache was making me feel irritable.

"Look, it's not my fault the guy keeps staring at us, Izzy. You know he has a thing for you." Dillon rolled his eyes.

"So what if he does?" I snapped, rubbing my throbbing temple. I was beginning to feel dizzy.

"Are you okay?" Dillon asked with concern.

"I think I need to lie down." I had to get away from the music and the lights. I looked around but I couldn't see any of my friends in sight.

"Come on." Dillon wrapped an arm around me before leading me through the crowd, in the direction of the stairs. I assumed he was taking me up to his room. But before we were able to reach the stairs, Taylor's large form intercepted us, blocking our path.

"What's wrong?" He asked with a frown, noticing the way I was leaning on Dillon.

Dillon started to say it was none of his business, but I answered, "My head hurts. I just need to lie down for a bit."

"Yeah, so move." Dillon grumbled but Taylor didn't budge one inch.

After scrutinizing me a bit, Taylor announced, "Come on, we're leaving." He reached for my arm and pulled me toward him, but Dillon refused to let go of my other arm. So, I ended up in between them. Each of them had a grip on one hand.

"She's not leaving. She just wants to lie down." Dillon tugged on my arm.

"Not in your room. Not when she looks like she's about to pass out," Taylor said through gritted teeth. Taylor took advantage of Dillon's loosened grip and yanked me to his chest.

"Right, because you care so much. Let's talk about what this is really about. This is about you wanting my woman for yourself."

"Your woman? You wish." Taylor laughed mockingly.

"Oh, fuck you, immigrant." Reaching out a hand, Dillon shoved Taylor and he didn't waste any time shoving Dillon back. Things were quickly spiraling out of control. It wouldn't be long before someone threw a punch. They were drawing stares and I was beginning to get embarrassed.

To make matters worse, Ryan showed up with Liz at his side. "What the hell's going on here?" He queried suspiciously.

"Izzy's about to pass out, and he wants to take her up to his room." Taylor was kind enough to explain. Dillon rushed forward in an attempt to punch Taylor, but Preston and some of his frat brothers held him back. Ryan got in between them as Taylor tried to go after Dillon.

In an attempt to get away from the scene they were making, I pushed myself free and began to walk away from them. Anywhere else would be better than here.

"Izzy, where are you going?" Liz asked.

"Anywhere but here." A small squeak escaped my lips, when I was spun around and Taylor tossed me over his shoulder. For a moment, the throbbing in my head grew worse and I allowed my body to go limp. I just wanted out of that house.

I heard Amber's petulant voice, "But, Taylor baby, who'll drive me home if you leave now?" She could have easily caught a ride with Muff or Brittany. I guess I was spoiling her plans to seduce him later. _Well, isn't that a shame_.

Taylor turned to Ryan, and he instantly understood the message. "Don't worry about it. We'll take her home." Liz looked about ready to complain but one look from Taylor shut her up.

The crowd parted for us to pass as Taylor moved toward the exit. One last look at Amber's glaring, and malicious delight made me flip her off. In hindsight, that probably wasn't a smart idea as Amber would make me pay for doing that later on.

Cool, fresh air greeted us as we left the house and he walked us to his car. As he set me on my feet, I leaned against the car. Taylor opened the back door and I crawled in, welcoming the chance to lie down. I must have dosed off because before I knew it, Taylor was pulling me across the backseat and out of the car.

He swung me into his arms and carried me into the building. My headache was improving but now my stomach was starting to churn. I closed my eyes as we walked off the elevator and felt us come to a stop at my door. I heard the sound of his keys jingling as he opened the door but both his arms were still holding me. The door swung open as I opened my eyes and he stepped over the threshold.

Suddenly, my stomach lurched, causing me to jump out of his arms, rush down the hall and into my room. I made it to the toilet just in time to relieve the contents of my stomach. The sound of Taylor's footsteps approached as he entered the bathroom. He muttered a soft curse before kneeling behind me on the floor. He held back my hair, waiting for me to finish.

He helped me to my feet when I was done, then I went to the sink and rinsed the taste of vomit out of my mouth. With my stomach evacuated, I began to feel a little better. I noted the incensed scowl on his face in the mirror, as he stood behind me. Taylor was angry with me for some reason. Suppressed irritation emanated from his entire body. Maybe he was mad at me for getting drunk again or for ruining his date. _Whatever._

Ignoring his glare, I pushed passed him, stumbling in my ankle boots as I made my way into the darkness of my room. I whipped my camisole over my head, letting it fall to the floor. Next, I reached for my jeans, undoing the button and tried to work it over my hips. _Damn, these pants are tight_. My jeans bunched around my legs and too late, I remembered I still had on my ankle boots.

In my dizzy state, I stumbled but Taylor steadied me with his hands. I was a bit surprised as I thought he'd left. He knelt on the floor in front of me and lifted my foot. I placed my hands on his shoulders to brace myself as he slipped my boots off one after the other. He pulled my pants down to my knees. I shivered and my heart beat sped up erratically as he placed one heated hand on the inside of my thigh, easing one pant leg off at a time. After he was finished, he didn't move away. Instead, he stared intently up at my face, and I shifted uncomfortably on my feet. I wasn't able to properly identify the look on his face due to the darkness.

He seemed to be mulling something over in his mind. After a tense moment, he stood up, slipping his hand from my leg and moved away from me. I thought he was about to leave, until I saw him sit on my bed. He bent over and began to remove his shoes while I stood frozen in the same spot.

_Was he staying over?_

This question was answered when he set his shoes and socks aside, and lay down on the bed, still wearing his jeans and t-shirt. Not knowing what else to do, I crossed the room and slipped under the covers next to him. I was much too tired to look for my pajamas. When I turned my head to the side to look at him, he rolled onto his side, facing away from me. Even in the darkness, I detected the stiff rigidness of his shoulders and knew he was still angry with me. For whatever reason.

Confused, I stared at his large back. Tendrils of guilt worked its way into my stomach, and I opened my mouth to apologize. "Taylor, I-" I began softly but Taylor cut me off.

"We'll talk about this tomorrow," he replied in a clipped tone.

I hated not knowing what I did to make him mad or if I even deserved his anger. Eventually, my eyes drifted shut and I fell into uneasy, restless sleep, knowing that an argument was coming our way the next day.

* * *

**A/N: **You guys have no idea what I went through to give you all this update. I swear it's like every Thursday there's a mini disaster that gets in the way of my updating.

Maybe I should pick another day.

Anyway,I'm _very_ excited for the upcoming chapters. You guys will definitely want them early.

**Back to the story**:Dillon and Bella are beginning to have problems.

Bella gave Amber the finger. Maybe that wasnt wise.

Wonder why Taylor's mad at Bella?

**Coming up next:** Bella and Taylor argue some more.

Alice tries to move things along.

Liz and Bella have the sex talk.

Bella and Dillon have more issues.

Bella does Zach a favor.

If the universe allows me to, you'll have the next chapter** Monday. I'll try.**


	38. Damn right,that's my penis!

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 38

When the sun rose the following morning, I woke up alone. Or rather, I woke up to Liz poking me. I squinted at her.

"What's time is it?" I groaned, rubbing my throbbing temple.

"Almost eleven," Liz answered softly, mindful of my headache.

With another groan, I kicked off the blankets, dragging my weary body to the bathroom for a shower. Wordlessly, Liz eyed my panty and bra with a sneaky smirk. Once I was done showering, I dressed myself and took some aspirin. Surprisingly, Liz was still waiting in my room for me, after I'd left the bathroom.

I inspected the mug in her hand and she smiled at me nervously. "Here, you'll need this."

Taking the offered mug from her, I asked, "Why would I need this?"

Liz shrugged helplessly in reply before walking out of my room while I trailed behind her, pondering her strange mood. As we neared the kitchen, I heard the guys talking. The atmosphere was tense when Liz and I appeared in the doorway. Ryan and a sulky Zach greeted me as I sat at the table, but Taylor remained silent, stabbing at his pancakes. I assumed he was still mad at me and chose to dismiss it. If he wanted to be a jerk, then fine. I was in no frame of mind to deal with his moodiness.

Ignoring the heavy silence of the room, I sipped my coffee in feigned calmness while everyone else mutely ate their breakfast. I watched as Liz popped a few Tums into her mouth. The stress was really getting to her. After a while Liz, Ryan and Zach rose from the table, having received some sort of silent signal from Taylor. Zach gave me a pity filled look before leaving the apartment. Ryan was reluctant to leave but did so after Liz pushed him from behind. Liz mouthed _good luck_ to me before exiting with Ryan out the door.

Now that I was alone in the apartment with Taylor, the atmosphere seemed even more oppressive. I looked up from my cup to find Taylor staring back at me with a heavy scowl marring his face. Pushing myself away from the table, I took my cup to the sink, all the while feeling his eyes boring into my back. I sighed heavily, deciding to kick off the argument that had been brewing since the night before.

_Let's get this over with._

I turned away from the sink and addressed him. "What's your problem? You've been moody all morning."

"Do you have any idea what could have happened to you last night?" He asked in a lowered voice.

"What are you going on about?"

"I'm talking about coming upon the scene of you drunk _again_ with Dillon taking you up to his room. What were you thinking?" Taylor huffed in frustration.

"I was thinking that my head hurt and I needed to lie down." I rolled my eyes. _What the hell is he trying to get at?_

"If you weren't feeling well, why didn't you come find me?" he scowled at me with his hands tightening around his cup.

"I looked around but you weren't there." I remembered his sudden disappearance when I was arguing with Dillon. "By the way, where were you?" _Was he with Amber?_

"Don't change the subject. That ass is just looking for an opportunity to take advantage of you and you almost gave him one last night." Taylor stood up then leaned forward, bracing his hands on the table.

I was surprised. _Is that what he thinks?_ That Dillon was going to try something? "What? Dillon would never do that. And don't you change to topic either. You still haven't told me where you were. Were you with Amber?"

"What? Don't bring Amber into this."

"Why not? You don't seem to have a problem bringing Dillon into this." I snorted.

"That's because he's a jackass." Taylor shot back.

My mind went back to what Ryan said at the party about Taylor sleeping with Amber. "You know what? Let's talk about why you're really upset. You just upset because I ruined your sure thing with Amber."

Taylor looked at me incredulously. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me. We both know that Amber is easier to get into than an unlocked door." I snorted sarcastically.

"You're insane." Leaning off the table, Taylor began to pace and mumble distractedly to himself. "I mean, this is proof of how crazy she is. What does that say about me?"

"Stop calling me crazy. Why won't you tell me where you were last night?" I demanded with a raised eyebrow.

"I was outside, on my phone with Zach. He wanted to talk to you but you left your cell at home. Leah didn't call last night." He stopped his pacing and explained calmly.

When he was finished, I had to admit that I felt a little silly. I imagined that he had been with Amber, locked in a disgusting grope session in some dark corner of the frat house. With a ridiculous amount of embarrassment, I realized that I was jealous. I didn't want him going out with her. Just thinking about it was enough to make me ill.

I was so locked in my musings that I didn't realize that Taylor was staring at me until he spoke up. "Did you think I was having sex with Amber? Why would you think that?" His nose was wrinkled in slight disgust.

Bashfully, I tore my gaze away from Taylor and looked down at my feet. "Last night, Ryan said that you were a guy and Amber was throwing herself at you, so I thought…" My voice trailed off awkwardly, unable to finish the sentence.

"Ryan? You really took Ryan seriously?" Taylor's face was comically surprised. I wondered if Ryan was just pulling my leg. But I didn't understand why he would do that. Was he deliberately trying to make me jealous? Trying to clear my thoughts, I shook my head.

Meanwhile, Taylor began to move slowly toward me. His eyes were watching my face intently, almost as if he was attempting to decipher the emotions flickering across it. He came to a stop in front of me, and I peered up at him through my lashes. The rhythm of my heart pounded in my chest as he unhurriedly raised his large hand. He hesitated briefly, before tucking a few rebellious strands of hair behind my ear. His attention was drawn to the light blush that invaded my cheeks. A small, playful smile tugged at his lips, and he brushed his warm fingertips across the slightly reddened skin on my face.

A small gasp escaped my lips and my body tensed marginally as he gathered me in his arms, pulling me toward him. The skin on my forehead tingled as he grazed his lips across it. Gradually, my body relaxed and I leaned into his embrace, wrapping my arms around his waist. He seemed even bigger up close and I marveled at the sheer size of him. Turning my face into his chest, I greedily inhaled the scent of his after shave. I felt his hands as they ran them languidly up and down my back.

"I worry about you, Isabella," Taylor murmured quietly.

"Why?" My question was muffled by his t-shirt but he heard me anyway.

"Because you're much too trusting. I worry that, one of these days, you'll end up trusting the wrong person," Taylor confessed.

For a moment, I wondered if he was referring to Dillon or to himself. Pulling away from him slightly, I gaze up at his face. "I can take care of myself."

A soft smile flittered across his face. "I know, but I still worry."

"Well don't. You'll get wrinkles." Removing one hand from his waist, I smoothed the worry lines between his eyebrows with my fingers.

My cell phone buzzed in my jeans with a newly arrived text message. Stepping away from Taylor, I squeezed it out of my pocket and flipped it open. _It's from Alice._

For a few seconds, I stared blankly at the screen.

_Kiss him!_

I gasped softly. _Oh my God_. I couldn't believe Alice was spying on me. Taylor was observing me with a raised eyebrow. I shot him an embarrassed smile then sent Alice a reply.

_Alice, stop looking!_

Her text message came back speedily.

_Chicken ;P_

I texted her back with a frustrated sigh.

_Stop looking!_

Alice replied almost immediately.

_Or what? You'll send me a strongly worded email ;P_

I sighed in defeat and flipped my phone closed, tucking it back into my pocket. She was right. I couldn't do anything about it now, but she would be getting one angry phone call from me later.

_Jeez. She wants me to kiss Taylor. What the hell?_

Taylor's face was amused as he queried, "What was that about?

My blush darkened, and I mumbled, "Um… Just Alice being silly."

Suddenly, the front door burst opened and Liz, Ryan and Zach strode in. They observed Taylor and me cautiously as if looking for signs of injuries.

"Are you two still fighting?" Ryan questioned with a frown. I watched as Liz anxiously popped a couple more Tums into her mouth, crunching loudly as she chewed them.

"Nope. We're good," Taylor answered with a small grin.

"Oh thank God," Liz sighed with relief and threw her Tums on the table.

"Good. Now that that's cleared up, I want to talk to you." Zach stomped over to where I stood next to Taylor and grabbed my hand, leading me out of the kitchen toward the couch.

I sat myself down, and Zach collapsed heavily in the space next to me, looking dejected. "Leah didn't call last night."

"I heard." I rubbed his arm in sympathy.

"I don't understand her. Leah said she would call. Why do you think she would blow me off like that?" Zach heaved a depressed sigh.

I sat in silence trying to think of a reason. For a brief moment, I wondered if there might have been a vampire attack. But then I remembered Leah explained to me that vampires hardly came through Forks anymore and the ones that did didn't survive long enough to cause trouble. It couldn't have been that she had to patrol, so there was only one other answer. The she-wolf was scared. I tried to think like Leah and it wasn't a hard thing to do. After all the misery she'd been through, Leah didn't want to open herself up again. If there was anyone that could understand how she felt, it was me.

But I would never admit that Leah was scared to Zach. _Bros before hoes and all that_. And Zach was the biggest hoe I knew. I tried to think of a way to help Leah and Zach and realized there was only one option. All I could do was hope that Leah wouldn't run all the way to Hanover and kick my ass for doing it.

Zach looked a tad bit anxious as he eyed my sneaky smile. "I have something for you." I pulled out my cell phone and handed it to him.

With raised eyebrows, Zach looked at me in silent inquiry then smiled until I explained, "Leah's number."

I still owed Leah one for letting me go to bed with Taylor. As Zach eagerly dug through my cell, I grinned evilly.

_Payback's a bitch, bitch!

* * *

_

It had been a few weeks since the keg party and Dillon and I _still_ hadn't slept together yet. Of course, it didn't help that I was beginning to notice that he was a much bigger snob than I had anticipated. I was made painfully aware of this one day as we were sitting together in the Dining Hall.

Dillon was successfully trying to sweet talk me into going back to his room when I accidentally spilled my latte, creating a mess all over the table. I was frantically trying to mop up the mess with my napkin when Andy, the custodian in charge of the Dining Hall, showed up and offered to help with the mess. Grateful for Andy's help, I apologized for my clumsiness. As we were leaving, Dillon told me that I shouldn't have apologized to the _janitor_, that it was his job to clean up after us. He was confused when I immediately changed my mind about going home with him, deciding to go my apartment _alone_ instead.

Then there was his constantly calling Taylor an immigrant. Dillon had no idea how much that annoyed the hell out of me. It was so derogatory. As far as I was concerned, when you got right down to it, we were all immigrants. All except for the Native Americans.

Dillon's snobbery was an issue, but our biggest problem was the fact that I didn't want to sleep with him because I wanted _him_. I wanted to sleep with Dillon because that was what you were supposed to do in college, sleep around and have lots of hookups. But I was having a hard time with just having meaningless sex.

It was on my mind so much lately that I decided to discuss it with Liz. The boys went to hang out at a sports bar and Liz and I were having a girl's night in. We spread our pillows and blankets on the living room floor, ordered a pizza, and pigged out on chocolate ice cream. I bit into my slice of pizza, watching as Liz danced around in her pink Footzies pajamas to _Girls Just Wanna Have Fun_.

My mind wondered back to Dillon and I began to wonder if there was something wrong with me. Dillon was a fun-loving, attractive guy. Any other girl would have slept with him by now.

_Okay. So he isn't perfect. And his snobby attitude sometimes gets on my nerves_, I thought with a grimace.

Seeing my expression, Liz turned mid-dance and paused. "What's up with you?"

After taking a sip of my soda, I confessed, "I think I might be frigid."

Liz stared at me in amazement for a second before she collapsed into a fit of giggles on the floor. "It's not funny, Liz," I grumbled in embarrassment.

Crawling toward the pillows, Liz panted, "The hell it's not." She propped a pillow behind her back as she leaned back on the couch. "Why do you think you're frigid?" She asked in an amused yet serious tone.

"Because Dillon and I have been going out for months and we still haven't slept together. I'm certain it's not him. So, it has to be me, right?"

Liz looked at me incredulously. "You _still_ can't pull the trigger?" I wrinkled my nose at her crass wording. Her face turned thoughtful. "Maybe you're having… _technical difficulties_. Tell me; are you able to get aroused?" Liz asked bluntly.

My cheeks burned as I mumbled, "Yes."

"With Dillon?" Liz probed.

"A little, yes," I hedged.

"Ah, I see. It's the level of arousal that's the real problem here." Liz concluded with a firm nod of her head.

_My level of arousal doesn't seem to be a problem with your brother_, I thought with a secret smile.

"You're so lucky, Liz. Ryan's the only guy you've slept with and you guys have a great sex life." I didn't bother to hide my envy. Liz and Ryan had it all.

"Ryan isn't the only guy I've slept with, Izzy." Liz informed me while shaking her head.

"What?" I asked with my eyes bulging. "Who else did you sleep with?"

"It was just one other guy. His name was Daniel." Liz collapsed back onto the blankets with a dreamy sigh. "Oh, you should have seen him Izzy, he was beautiful… he was my first." Liz confessed with a slightly shy tone in her voice.

"I didn't know you dated anyone before Ryan."

Liz shook her head briefly. "It was so stupid, Izzy. You see, Ryan and I grew up together and we'd always been close. Ryan had always been in love with me, but I had a huge crush on Daniel Vanderbilt. So, when Daniel asked me out, I said yes. We only slept together that one time, though."

"So how was it?" I inquired curiously after taking another sip of my soda.

"It took about five minutes and he didn't even take off his pants." Liz sat up tracing the pattern on the blanket with her finger. _I guess it was lousy._

This was a lot to process. "I always assumed that you and Ryan lost your virginities to each other."

"Actually, I'm Ryan's first," Liz admitted proudly.

I stared at her in awe. "Wow, seriously?"

"Damn right. That's _my_ penis." Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she smiled smugly. Liz's expression turned serious as she addressed me. "Even though my first time turned out to be crappy, I'm still grateful it happened because it made me see what was in front of me all along." A beautiful smile lit up her face. "And now I have the best sex ever. It's so good that… Well, I don't have to explain to you, you hear us all the time." She wriggled her eyebrows naughtily.

I rolled my eyes and smirked. "Not since I bought those earplugs. A girl has to be able to get some sleep around you two."

"Anyway, that's why I was in support of your dating Dillon. If it turned out to be a mistake, it'd be yours to make. But now, I'm not so sure about dating him." Liz's brows creased as she continued gently, "Maybe you should think about whether you can be one of those girls that can just have casual sex. And if you decide that you can't do it, then you should reevaluate what kind of relationship you want with Dillon."

Liz gave me a lot to think about that night. I realized that I hadn't given him a fair shot because I was afraid of getting hurt again. There were lots of girls that were able to sleep around, but I was beginning to realize that I wasn't one of them. Dillon and I would have to talk soon. We needed to rethink our relationship.

* * *

As expected, Leah called me threatening to kick my ass for giving Zach her number. After I called her out on her reasons for not calling Zach the other night, she calmed down slightly. She grudgingly thanked me for giving him her number, admitting she'd been getting a hard time from Sam lately and his phone call cheered her up. Apparently, Sam was still jealous about her memories of her night with Zach and it was really getting on her nerves.

Her relationship with Emily was coming along bit by bit but there were some problems among the wolf girls. Since I'd left, there had been additions to the wolf pack, which meant more imprints. They were having trouble getting along with each other. Leah didn't want to get into it, but from what she told me, I gathered that the wolf girls were now divided into two groups. She laughingly told me about Jared and Kim's shotgun wedding. Kim didn't want to get married just because she was pregnant, but finally caved after Jared proposed for the fifth time. She was due to deliver her son in one month.

Since the keg party, Taylor had no further dates with Amber. Much to my obvious delight. Of course, Amber blamed me every time Taylor turned her down. She didn't look like the type to give up on what she wanted even though Taylor gave her no hope. Amber would constantly glare at me from across the Dining Hall, whenever she saw me. Then Amber and her minions would laugh and snicker behind their hands, shooting evil looks at me. To tell you the truth, it was all beginning to make me a little uneasy.

My relationship with Dillon seemed a little strained. He'd been really distant with me all week_. _At first, I'd assumed he was stressed out because of his classes and rowing practice, but now I wasn't so sure. Maybe he was upset that we weren't having sex, I didn't know. Not knowing how to initiate the conversation, I had yet to discuss the current state of our relationship with him.

One day, Liz and I were alone in the apartment studying, when my phone started vibrating on the table. After Liz passed it to me, I flipped it open to read a text from Dillon.

_Hey Izzy, can you come over?_

Staring at my phone, I scrunched up my face in confusion. In all our years of knowing each other, this was the first time Dillon sent me a text message. He always said that people looked stupid typing with their thumbs. He was adamant that if someone wanted to contact to him, then they would have to do so verbally.

I sent him a quick reply.

_Why?_

He had been so moody lately. I wondered why he wanted me to come over now.

_To spend some time together_.

I took a moment to think about it. We could use this opportunity to talk and redefine our relationship, so I texted him back, agreeing.

_Okay. I'll see you in ten minutes. _

I sent the message then went into my room to fix my hair into a ponytail. Hastily, I put on some lip gloss and changed into a cuter top. As I was leaving the apartment, Liz eyed my ponytail and smirked, "You're going to see Dillon?" She knew I only wore my hair like that for him.

I grabbed my keys and phone, heading toward the door. "Yeah, I think we need to talk."

"Good luck," Liz said before returning her attention to her books. I closed the door behind me then went down to my car.

It turned out Liz was right to wish me luck. I had no idea what I was about walk into.

* * *

**A/N: **Once again I faced the curse of Thursdays and won.

You guys almost got this chapter next week Monday but I felt guilty about making you guys wait so long and here we are.

**Back to the story:** Taylor doesn't trust Dillon.

Liz gave Bella some good advice.

Bella paid Leah back. (Heh heh)

**Coming up next:**All I'm going to tell you guys is that two people are going to end up injured.

But I'm not going to say anything else about it.

I will say that I'm freaking excited about the next chapter.

Now I know it's like exam time right now and you're all busy.

So you guys have to let me know if you want the next chapter next **Monday** or if you prefer to wait until **Thursday**.


	39. The bitch had it coming

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

**A/N:**I decided to answer this question here instead of individually. Jacob will re-enter the story after Bella finishes college and goes back to Forks. And no I won't hurry through the chapters to get her back to Forks quicker because rushing ruins stories and then you won't understand why this and that happened. Now, with that said, I promise not to drag the story out and bore you to tears in Bella's time away from Forks. Read my chapters carefully. Everything I write has hidden meanings or is the setting for a future scene.

Believe me. No one is more excited for Bella to return home than I am. The things I have planned...(evil giggles)

* * *

Chapter 39

Ten minutes later, I parked my car and walked the distance to the frat house. On the walk there, I was nervous and fidgety thinking about what I would say to him and wondering what he would say. Upon walking into the house, I greeted a group of guys on the couch playing an army type game on their Xbox. It looked like one of those _Brothers in Arms _games. I wasn't sure. They were so immersed in their gaming that only a few heard me when I came in. Preston was among them but I didn't see Dillon.

"Hey, Preston. Is Dillon in his room?"

Preston managed to tear his grey eyes away from the TV long enough to murmur, "Yeah." He turned back toward the screen and was lost in the sea of blood and mangled body parts.

I climbed the stairs then proceeded to walk down the hall to Dillon's room. When I got to his door, I had to pause because the _I'm busy, Go away!_ sock was hanging on the doorknob. I brushed it off, thinking that Dillon was probably waiting inside for me, hoping to get lucky. Reaching out one hand, I turned the door knob and pushed it open with a smile that froze on my face. It never occurred to me that Dillon could be in there with someone else. The trusting fool that I was.

The door swung open and saw Dillon sitting on the edge of his bed. He was much too engaged to notice me as he was busy receiving a blowjob from a blonde haired girl. My body seemed to be frozen in place. I was unable to move at all or look away from the scene. His head was thrown back and he would occasionally let out a pleasure-filled groan. His hands fisted tightly on the sheets as the girl's head bobbed up and down. I wasn't able to see who she was because she had her back toward me.

I think I might have been experiencing one of those out of body moments. The only thing I felt was detached numbness as I watched them. Dillon's head rolled forward then his eyes opened slowly. He appeared dazed for a second before it finally dawned on him, who I was and what he was currently doing. His features appeared to be frozen in shock until he shoved the blonde away from him. She fell backwards onto the floor and I caught a glimpse of her face. It wasn't some random girl, it was Amber.

_This just keeps getting better and better._

Dillon cursed and sprang to his feet, hastily tucking his dick back into his pants. It was still moist from Amber's saliva. I found it a bit revolting that this was my first look at the thing that had been poking me for months.

His eyes were wild with panic as he struggled to come up with an explanation. Not that one was needed, of course. Dillon opened up his mouth and said the most clichéd thing I'd ever heard. "It's not what it looks like."

Forcing the words past my lips, I asked in disbelief, "It's not?"

I fought the urge to laugh. It was the most stupid thing a man could say at this point, but it seemed like everyday, somewhere in the world, a man said it whenever he was caught cheating. I wondered if it was my turn to do something equally clichéd. Should I throw his varsity jacket in the Connecticut River?

Amber smoothly climbed to her feet and straightened her clothes, wiping her mouth with her fingers. She looked like this was just another ordinary day in the life of Amber Hodge.

Her face was a mixture of smugness and malicious satisfaction as she studied my face. "Oh my God. I can't believe you walked in on us." She purred in false surprise and I thought, _funny, you don't look surprised._

Dillon shot her a glare then turned his anxious gaze to me. "I can explain."

"Explain what exactly, Dillon? How much of a liar you are or how big an idiot I am?" I asked with a slightly shaky voice that I hated myself for.

By this time, I was beginning to feel nauseous, wondering how long this had been going on back my back. How many times Dillon had kissed me just after he'd finished fucking Amber? Was she the only one? Who else had he been screwing around on me with? This was the exact reason why I'd agreed to be exclusive, so I wouldn't be wondering where his mouth had been or who he'd had his mouth on. I felt so violated and shit… hurt. It seemed that I didn't protect my feelings as well as I'd thought.

Dillon raised his hands in a placating manner, trying to calm me down. "It was a mistake. I made _one _mistake, Izzy."

Amber cackled at Dillon's lame attempt to save his ass. "One, Dillon? Why don't you tell her about the night of the keg party? The night she left with my date. We well... to be completely frank… we fucked like rabbits," Amber revealed. Her eyes were full of amusement as she observed me. This was entertainment for her.

"Shut the fuck up, Amber!" Dillon yelled at her.

"Why should I?" Amber snapped him with her blue eyes blazing. "It's better that she knows the truth now." She turned to me with hateful, malice-filled eyes. "You don't belong in our world and you never will. I mean, really. Did you think Dillon would be satisfied with the likes of you? You're nothing but white trash. An insignificant speck of nothing."

By this point angry tears brimmed, burning my eyes. Seeing my expression, how close I was to crying in front of her, Amber smiled venomously at me. "Taylor's going to see what I see eventually. You're nothing but a passing fancy to him. He will never be with someone like you. Pretty soon he'll grow tired of you and move on to someone just like me. The same way Dillon did. That's why I organized this little get together, to show you just that." Her mouth curled into a vicious smile.

I stared at her in shock as realization hit me like a ton of bricks. Dillon wasn't the one that sent me the text message, it was Amber. This entire thing had been planned and orchestrated by Amber for my benefit. This was why she'd been giving me nasty looks all week long. My gazed flicked to where Dillon stood motionless, listening to every word of her rant. His face was pissed off as he stared at Amber, realizing he'd been used and played for a fool. Clearly, he wasn't expecting me to show up at his door when I did.

Searching my heart, I tried to summon one ounce of sympathy for Dillon and couldn't do it. He didn't have to go along with her game but he couldn't keep it in his pants long enough to think that it might have meant something to me. Dillon stole something from me that day. He made me feel insecure and inadequate. But even though what he did was awful, what Amber did was ten times worse. I don't know what he thought they were doing when they started sleeping with each other, but I knew he didn't think she was just using him to make a point.

Amber deliberately set out to hurt me. For no other reason than to prove that she was better than me. My unshed tears dried up as I stared at her, feeling my rage bubbling up in me. It wasn't bad enough that Amber humiliated me by sleeping with my boyfriend and laughing about it behind my back to her friends. No, she had to make sure I saw it for myself with my own two eyes. How could any woman do that to another?

Then I thought about Taylor and if he'd been a weaker man, to fall for Amber's crap. Would Amber have used him the exact way she'd used Dillon? I concluded that she would have. Just so she could break me and see me crying in front of her, defeated. And a year ago, it might have worked too. The old Bella would already be hysterical with tears, running out of here like the leading lady in a bad flick about a nerdy, high school girl that got her heart broken by the captain of the football team.

No, that was the old Bella. Now Izzy, on the other hand, she wasn't about to take this shit lying down. I'd survived losing Edward and Jacob. There was nothing she could have done to bring me any pain equivalent to that. Amber had to understand that there were consequences for screwing with other people's lives. She couldn't be allowed to get away unscathed and scotch free. Someone had to make her pay and I was the person to do it.

Amber must have seen something in my face because her wicked smile abruptly lost some of its potency. Grounding my teeth, I slowly crossed the threshold with my gaze fixed firmly on her. My nail bit into my palms as I fisted them tightly. Amber's wicked smile was now hanging by a thread as she studied me with uncertainty in her eyes. I watched as her eyes darted nervously to where Dillon stood, eying me curiously, trying to predict what I would do next.

Moving quickly, Dillon appeared between Amber and me after I'd closed half the distance between us. He tried to act as a referee. "Whoa, calm down, Izzy."

I had no words to say to him. This wasn't about Dillon anymore. This was about me standing up for myself and fighting back. In an attempt to stop my advancement, Dillon placed his hands on my shoulders and I snapped. He had no god damn right to touch me.

My movements were swift and unexpected as I brought my knee up sharply and into his groin. I watched with a small amount of satisfaction as he crumpled to the floor, whimpering and holding his crotch in agony. His entire face was a deep shade of red and a large vain stood out, pulsing on his forehead.

_That's for all the kisses I wasted on you._

With Dillon out of the way, I returned my attention to Amber. She looked up from Dillon's pathetic form to me, no signs of a smile in sight. I raised my foot, stepping over him and continued on my way toward getting even.

Anger and adrenaline coursed through my bloodstream as I slowed my footsteps, coming to a stop a few feet away from Amber. "Who do you think you are?" I asked, taking a step closer to her.

"Excuse me?" Amber eyed my advancement with anxiety.

"You think that just because you have money, it gives you the right to mess with people's lives. You know what, Amber? You're a pathetic, bitter hag who delights in torturing others on account of the fact that it makes you feel better about your miserable, worthless existence. You might be, what society thinks is, beautiful on the outside, but inside you're nothing but a disgusting pile of shit." My hand shot out hard and fast, pushing at her shoulder.

"What do you think you're doing?" Amber stumbled backward, asking with a slight tremor that gave away her fear.

"I'm warning you. Stay away from me. And stay away from my friends," I warned through clamped teeth.

The evil twinkle in her blue eyes returned. "You must mean, stay away from Taylor. Do you honestly think that I'll just stay away from him? No, no. A man with looks like that deserves to be… sampled." Her mouth curled into a predatory smirk.

In my mind, I pictured Amber with her grubby hands all over Taylor, using him then throwing him away like he was nothing when she was finished. Just like she did with Dillon. Rage surged up inside me, boiling to the surface.

Faster than Amber was able to dodge, my hand flew out, slapping her hard across the mouth.

Amber screamed out, hands cradling her once perfect mouth. "I'm bleeding, you trailer trash!"

My blow split her bottom lip, and I smiled crudely. "So you are."

"Bitch! You'll pay for doing that!" Amber shrieked at me.

I attempted to dodge Amber as she reached a hand out, trying to claw me. But I wasn't quite fast enough and I felt a slight burn on my neck. I slapped her hand away as she tried to grab for my hair. She was unable to achieve a firm grip because it was secured in a ponytail. However, her hair was loose and free flowing.

My hands darted out, getting tangled in her hair and I yanked hard. Amber screamed out painfully and flung her hands out blindly, catching me off guard. I lost my balance and fell backward, taking Amber with me. We landed on the floor with a heavy thud and Amber attempted to gain the upper hand in our bitch fight by climbing on top of me.

She managed to land one slap before I clenched my hand in a fist and punched her square in the face. I felt my knuckles pop painfully as my fist connected with her jaw and she fell off me. By this point, I was much too consumed with rage to stop myself. I climbed on top of her and slapped her.

Because she should have left me alone.

I slapped her again.

She should have stayed away from Taylor.

I smacked her hands away when she tried to fight back and hit her in the eye.

Because I'd had enough of people trying to hurt me on purpose.

Somewhere in my mind, I heard a loud commotion of approaching voices, signaling that we had company. I wasn't aware that I was screaming, _stay away from him!_ at the top of my lungs, until hands wrapped around my middle, lifting me off Amber.

"Shit, Izzy. Calm the fuck down!" Preston's voice sounded strained as he struggled to restrain me. I was currently kicking and twisting against him, trying to go after Amber again. The room quickly filled with guys, some of whom I recognized, others I didn't. Two guys went to Amber's assistance where she lay on the floor, bleeding and cursing.

"Call the police! I want that bitch arrested!" Amber's shrill voice rang out across the room.

The crowd parted for us as Preston dragged me through the door. My adrenaline began to subside and I let my body relax. When Preston was certain that I wasn't going to resume my battle, he loosened his hold and set me on my feet. Faster than I could blink, Preston spun me around to face him and held me by the shoulders.

"What the fuck, Izzy?" Preston was genuinely shocked.

My chest heaved up and down as I panted with exertion, "Believe me when I say it, Preston. That bitch had it coming." I pushed his hands away and stomped down the hall. I had every intention of getting the hell out of here. Dillon's voice called out weakly behind me but I just kept on walking. There was nothing he could say to me.

I vaguely remembered the brisk, chilly walk back to my car as the feeling of animosity was still burning within me. Afterwards, I climbed into the driver seat, started the ignition and sped back to the apartment. With my dangerous driving, I was lucky to have avoided crashing my car as the roads were slick with snow and ice. My anger ebbed away and I began to fret about what I'd just done. I just assaulted two people. Granted they deserved it. Would I get arrested? They could press charges against me. My mind was in a fog as I drove back to the apartment.

My temper flared again as I shoved my way through the front door, surprising the hell out of Liz, Ryan and Zach when I slammed it behind me. Taylor was still at the library. My appearance must have been worrying because Liz jumped off the couch and was rushing toward me in the blink of an eye.

"Izzy, my God. What happened to you?" She ran her hands over my blouse and I realized that my sleeve had been torn in the fight, exposing my shoulder.

I opened my mouth to explain and, to my never-ending humiliation, promptly burst into angry tears. Liz wrapped her arms around me, before leading me across the room to settle on the couch.

Ryan scrutinized my torn clothes and lost it. "Did Dillon do this to you, Izzy? I swear to God, if he did this I'll murder that bastard!" Ryan bellowed and Liz shushed him. Zach peered at me through narrowed eyes, waiting for me to expound.

And so I did, in between sobs, revealing everything that happened. From finding Dillon with Amber to the cat fight that went down between us. Eventually, I was able to calm down. I knew I had Liz and her constant wrestling matches to thank for being able to hold my own against Amber.

"Damn, Izzy. You really kicked her ass, huh?" Ryan chortled.

"Yeah, but I guess I'll have to look for a lawyer now." I was _so_ not looking forward Charlie finding out about this.

"Why?" Liz stared at me blankly.

"Because even if Dillon won't go to the police, Amber will." Just thinking about it was enough to make me grimace.

"Please, Izzy. If Amber goes to the police and this goes to court, then everyone, including her parents, will know that you kicked her ass after you caught her giving head to your boyfriend as revenge. Believe me, Izzy. She won't risk word getting out about her _improper_ behavior. Her parents might disown her." Liz snorted with a roll of her eyes.

"Seriously?" I didn't think about it from that perspective. Zach disappeared into the kitchen for a few moments then returned with a glass of water for me. I smiled in thanks as I took a sip of the refreshing liquid.

Ryan nodded his head in agreement with Liz then added, "That's one thing you should remember about the rich, Izzy. They do messed-up, disgusting things all the time and it's okay. Just so long as they do it in private. So don't worry, you're in the clear."

"Man, rich people are screwed up," Zach concluded, and I agreed with him on that.

"I don't even know why I cried in the first place. It's not like I was in love with him or anything." I wiped at the remaining tears on my face.

"But it still burns, doesn't it?" Liz queried softly. She took my hand in hers, rubbing soothing circles. I winced slightly and glanced down at the hand she was holding. It was already beginning to swell.

"Yeah, I've never been cheated on before." I admitted.

With Edward and Jacob, the thought of being cheated on never entered my mind. I felt like any future relationship I had from now on, a small part of me will always worry about the guy cheating. It would be damn near impossible to return to my pre-cheating ignorance.

"That bastard. Do you want us to go kick his ass, Izzy?" Ryan growled, cracking his knuckles and Zach's face darkened. They'd been looking for any excuse to beat Dillon down over the past few years.

"No, it's fine. Leave it alone, you guys." I warned both Ryan and Zach, hoping against all hope that they would listen to me.

"We can't make you any promises, Izzy, especially where Taylor's concerned," Zach said in a low voice.

My mind flashed back to Taylor's fight with Dillon and I blurted out, "You can't tell him!" I didn't want to deal with having to bail Taylor out of jail. If there was any way to prevent Taylor from finding out, I was all for it.

Liz refused, "Sorry, Izzy. We're not going to keep this from him."

I looked around to discover that they were all in agreement and conceded reluctantly, "Fine. I think I'll go lie down in my room for a bit."

"Okay," Liz murmured in understanding. I just needed to be alone.

Upon entering my room, I went straight to my mirror to survey the damage. My right cheek was slightly red and swollen, and there was also a scratch on my neck. But other than that, I didn't look bad. I took evil-minded solace in the fact that Amber probably looked much worse.

Slowly, I eased my weary body onto my bed, lying on top of the blankets. My eyes drifted closed for what seemed like a brief moment. I think I must have fallen asleep because hours later, I awoke to a dark room and someone pushing me across the bed.

Instinctively, my body stiffened in alarm until I heard a deep voice. "It's me."

Realizing that it was Taylor, my body relaxed and I moved aside to make room for him to climb in next to me. The bed shifted under his weight as he crawled in behind me and I rolled over to my side, facing him. He reached out an arm and pulled me closer to him, not quite touching him but close enough to feel the warmth coming off his body.

I shifted under his penetrating gaze and murmured, "I take it you've heard."

"Yes. Are you all right?" He lightly ran his hand down my arm before linking our hands together.

"I'm fine. I think my pride hurts more than anything else. I feel a little stupid," I confessed after chewing worriedly on my lip.

"Dillon's the one who should feel stupid, not you."

"Why do you think that?" I snorted softly.

I didn't think Dillon was feeling any shame right now. After what happened, he'd probably been labeled an even bigger stud, having two girls fight over him. Sure, we weren't fighting over him but it would look that way to his friends. _He's probably_ _getting slapped on the back as we speak._

"Because you are well worth the wait, Isabella." He stared at me intently and I felt like something was a little different between us. But I wasn't able to put my finger on it. He released my hand and gently brushed my cheek with his fingers.

Something flashed in his eyes, and then he was leaning toward me. My heart pounded away in my ears as his gaze shifted to my lips and I knew he wanted to kiss me. Once again, my feelings were all mixed up. A part of me wanted desperately wanted him to but the other part of me was positively terrified of starting something up with him.

My stomach clenched nervously as his breath fanned across my face. Suddenly, it was as if Taylor changed his mind. My breathing was shallow when he touched his nose to mine for a brief moment, before pressing a small kiss at the tip of it. Subsequently, he gathered the upper half of my body to his chest, before rolling onto his back. Eventually, I fell asleep with my head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

It wasn't until morning that I would see the bruises on Taylor's face and hands. Apparently, when Zach disappeared into the kitchen to get me a glass of water, he also called Taylor and told him everything. Immediately, Taylor stormed out of the library to pay Dillon an impromptu visit before coming home. Dillon would have a new bunch of injuries to add to the one I gave him.

* * *

**A/N: **Bella and Dillon are so over.

What did you think of the fight between Bella and Amber?

I bet a lot of you didnt see that one coming but that's what happens when someone gets pushed too far.

I tried to make the kiss happen between Bella and Taylor but it just didnt feel like it was the right time.

**Coming up next: **Bella deals with the aftermath of her breakup with Dillon.

Taylor gets mad when his father makes a request of him.

It's Christmas time again and Bella gives Zach the best gift ever.

The gang rent a cabin in Vermont with fireplace and bear skin rug. (romantic)

Bella contemplates a relationship with Taylor.

Two lives hang in the balance as an unforeseen, life-threatening accident happens.

**A/N:** Thursdays are quickly becoming my least favorite day of the week but if you guys insist, then I'll give you the next chapter this **Thursday** instead of next **Monday**.


	40. The Idiot Jumped after me!

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 40

The week after our break up, Dillon called me every day with excuses and apologies. I really wasn't interested in anything he had to say. As far as I was concerned, we were over. I wasn't about to become one of those girls that went back to a cheating boyfriend. No matter how many times I told him this, he persisted with the phone calls and sending me gifts. His flowers usually went straight into the garbage disposal and the chocolates, well… Liz and I took care of them by way of consumption. At first, I wanted to throw them away until Liz explained that it would be madness to waste perfectly good chocolate. What we couldn't eat, we gave away to our neighbors. Whenever I saw him around campus, I avoided him like the plague. I never went into the Dining Hall by myself and he didn't dare approach me when I was sitting with the gang. I hoped he would eventually give up and leave me alone.

Amber kept a low profile after our fight. I gathered she was waiting for the bruising and swelling to go down. A few times I saw her around campus, wearing lots of makeup and a pair of giant shades to hide her black eye. She went around telling people that she got injured whilst trying to intervene in the fight between Taylor and Dillon. In Amber's version of the story, they were fighting over her. If she knew what was good for her, she'd stay far away from Taylor. But something told me she wouldn't do that. Amber Hodge was not the type to give up on a man she wanted. I wasn't about to let her drag him into her crap.

I called Leah and Angela, explaining what happened with Dillon. Leah didn't even attempt to hide her joy. Her exact words were, '_good riddance to bad rubbish'_. She was overjoyed that our relationship was over, and that I beat the hell out of the chick he'd been cheating with. Angela was a bit more sympathetic, saying that she hoped I wouldn't be turned off the whole idea of dating because of Dillon. She didn't need to worry about that. Even though things ended badly with Dillon, I was still open to dating someone new. I refused to close myself off all because Dillon turned out to be a cheater.

At the same time, I wasn't in a hurry to date again. I mean, if someone great came along, then I wouldn't mind going out with him. But at that point in my life, I didn't feel like anything was missing. I had my friends, family and school and those were enough.

Charlie wasn't surprised to hear that Dillon cheated on me. He said that Dillon sounded like the kind of guy who liked have his cake and eat it too. I think he was mostly impressed that I didn't fall apart or get arrested for assault. Renee, on the other hand, was more heartbroken than I was. She was looking forward to me visiting and bringing my boyfriend along, sometime soon.

Taylor had been especially attentive toward me since my break up with Dillon. In fact, things were better than ever between us. We went right back to our affectionate, playful relationship. I had to admit that I really enjoyed having him all to myself and soaked up all his attention. We were constantly together except for those two nights out of the week when Taylor disappeared. It was nice that Taylor didn't feel the need to say _I told you so_. After all, he did try to warn me about trusting Dillon.

Our winter break was fast approaching and we were all sitting in the living room trying to figure out where we wanted to spend it. Zach planned to spend the holidays on the Makah Reservation with his sister, her husband and their two kids. The rest of us decided to rent a cabin in Vermont and spend our Christmas there.

Liz and Taylor had been bickering about something for the past two days. Well… Liz would usually be the one arguing, while Taylor would just stare back at her with no clear expression on his face. I wanted to know what they were fighting about but I didn't want to pry, figuring Liz would tell me when she was ready. Whatever it was though, Liz had no intention of giving up. She hounded Taylor constantly.

Taylor was sitting beside me on the couch with his arm draped loosely around my shoulder. I sat with the top half of my body practically moulded to his side, cradling a bowl of popcorn on my lap. Ryan watched our positions with inquisitive eyes and a growing grin on his face.

When Zach went into the kitchen to take a call from his sister, Liz turned her attention to Taylor. "So, I spoke to Dad this morning."

"That's nice," Taylor murmured nonchalantly, keeping his eyes focused on the TV.

His lack of emotion had Liz looking annoyed. "He wants us to come home for winter break."

"No." His hand tightened around my shoulder slightly.

"We're going." Liz persisted with a stubborn look in her eyes that I knew only too well. She would get her way, even if she had to bulldoze him.

"Why is it so important that we visit? Why now?" Taylor asked with a scowl.

"He's met someone and wants us to meet her," Liz explained.

"Why should we care? I don't see what the big deal is."

"You know this is a big step for him. This is the first relationship he's had since Mom left him."

Taylor snorted in disbelief, "Please. How do we know she's the first?" By the look on his face, I was able to denote that he didn't believe his own words. He was just being hardheaded.

"Because you _know_ how it is for us," Liz snapped at him and Ryan squeezed her hand. I assumed that he was telling her to calm down. Her eyes softened and she continued in a softer tone. "This is a big deal for him, Taylor."

I couldn't help but agree with Liz. Twenty years was a long time to be alone. I remembered Liz told me that he never divorced their mother, even after she left him. He must have really loved her. But I couldn't help but wonder what Liz meant when she said Taylor knew how it was for them. _What did that mean_? I recalled Edward telling me that Taylor's family in Spain was the ones with abilities. If that was true, why didn't their Dad date for twenty years if he was the normal human one?

Taylor hesitated beside me, before giving in reluctantly. "Fine."

So, it was agreed that we would spend Christmas at the cabin then ring in the New Year in Boston.

Alice informed me that she and the Cullens were spending their winter break in Paris. They finally listened to my pleas not to send me any gifts. Instead, they began to sneak money into my bank account, bits at a time. As if I wouldn't notice that my balance increasing by ten thousand dollars every so often.

Since Zach was headed home for Christmas, we decided to give each other our gifts early. Once again, we did the Secret Santa gift exchange. Liz got my name and I got Zach's. Liz chose to be mysterious with my gift, saying that she would give me my gift after we returned home from Boston and I couldn't refuse it.

I had trouble deciding on what to get Zach as a present until I had the most wonderful/evil idea. Leah had the entire house to herself ever since Sue and Seth moved in with Charlie, and thus I knew she would be spending the majority of winter break alone. So two days after classes ended, I sent a crated Suzie Q and an excited, eternally grateful Zach off to Washington with Leah's address. She would either kick my ass or thank me. I was hoping for the latter.

_Merry Christmas, Leah!

* * *

_

Days later, I was sitting in the cozy warmth of Ryan's SUV, waiting for Liz and the guys to come downstairs. We were about to embark on a three hour drive to our cabin in Vermont. Looking out the window, I made out Ryan's large figure as he crossed the parking lot with Liz's suitcases. This was his second outing to the car as she packed a lot of clothes for our trip. After loading the suitcases in the back, Ryan opened the door and hopped into the backseat next to me.

I was confused because he was supposed to be our driver. Ryan didn't like anyone else driving his car.

_What is he doing in the back seat?_

Ryan blew into his hands, trying to warm up, and I shot him an inquiring gaze. He grinned mischievously and I grew a tad nervous.

_What's he up to?_

"So, you and Taylor are getting along pretty well these days, huh?" He asked, nudging me with his elbow.

"Um, yeah. What are you getting at?" I questioned slowly, shifting uncomfortably in my seat. Ryan penetrating gaze was making me anxious.

"Nothing. Just noticing how much time you two are spending together, that's all." When my eyes narrowed with suspicion, Ryan quickly added, "It's just that, to the outside world you two look like a couple."

"We do?"

Ryan looked astounded that I clearly hadn't realized it before myself. "Well, yeah. You two are practically joined at the hip, you understand each other…" Ryan's voice trailed off as he tried to find the right words. For a few seconds, he paused then settled on, "You guys just fit."

As Ryan was talking, a frown was slowly forming on my face. _What the hell is this?_ "Well, I don't care what it looks like to the outside world, we're not a couple," I told him firmly, favoring him with a dark look. In other words, _back off!_

Ryan received my message loud and clear and gave me a look that said, _I will, for now_.

"I'm just saying." Ryan eased himself back in his seat with a sigh and ran a hand through his already rumpled hair.

"Well stop," I murmured quietly, before glancing out the window. Taylor and I were in a good place. Why on earth would I want to jeopardize one of the most healthy, stable relationships I'd been able to maintain with a man since Jacob?

My eyes suddenly fell on Taylor and Liz as they emerged from the apartment building, walking in the direction of the parking lot. Taylor barely looked encumbered as he carried both mine and his suitcases, while Liz was rambling on about something. For a brief period, I wondered if he was having the same conversation that I'd just had with Ryan. From where I sat, I was able to make out Liz's motor mouth, moving a mile minute as she tried to keep up with Taylor's long strides.

It was on this thought that a foul stench hit my nose.

_It smells like-_

_Did Ryan just-_

My head snapped in his direction, and Ryan smiled cheekily, "Sorry."

"Ew! Ryan! That is so nasty." Holding my nose, I rolled down the window and stuck my body halfway out of it. I inhaled deeply, sucking in the cold, untainted air.

Taylor and Liz were standing close to the car, watching me with amused curiosity. Taylor took one step closer in my direction.

"Why are you hanging out-" Taylor halted abruptly in his questioning then took a quick step backward, wrinkling his nose. Obviously, he smelled Ryan's latest indiscretion.

Before I could say anything, Ryan spoke up laughingly, "Man, Izzy's been letting it rip in the car."

_Oh my God!_

I gasped in mortification and tried to defend myself. "It's wasn't me!"

"Don't worry, Izzy. We know Ryan's work when we smell it." Liz rolled her eyes in disgust. She wasn't lying about that. Ryan was famous for having the ability to clear a room in three seconds flat.

After standing in the cold for five minutes, waiting for the car to air out, Taylor loaded the suitcases before climbing into the seat beside me. With Ryan in the driver's seat and Liz riding shotgun, we pulled out of the parking lot and began our long drive up to Vermont.

We ended up taking four hours to get to the cabin because we stopped at a local store on the outskirts of Vermont to do some grocery shopping. The final stretch of our drive took us up the winding road of a mountain, then into the Pinehurst Resort. Ryan hopped out of the car before entering the office to collect the keys to our cabin. Afterward, we drove down a snow covered pathway to our allotted driveway.

Without a doubt, two of the main attractions of the Pinehurst Resort were its sense of tranquility and large, rustic cabins. The resort cabins were spaced far apart to preserve the peace and privacy of its guests. Despite its air of isolation, there were restaurants, shops and a ski lodge nearby. Just in-case a guest got tired of being alone.

Our cabin stood in the middle of a small clearing, surrounded by large pine trees. We climbed out of the SUV, carrying our suitcases up four steps then across the front porch at the entrance of the cabin. Once inside, we were hit with the warm, inviting scent of the crackling fireplace. The living room furniture was made out of mahogany and the room had large windows that extended to the kitchen, which provided a striking view of the woods. The upstairs portion of the cabin held three bedrooms, each containing a queen size bed. As there was only one bathroom, we would all have to share.

Liz and Ryan disappeared into their room after we finished putting the groceries away. I didn't expect to see them for the next hour or two. I stood in front of the large window, staring unseeingly at the trees. My mind kept replaying the discussion I'd had with Ryan earlier.

Taylor's voice broke through my musings. "What's wrong?"

I turned away from the window to see Taylor, standing in the center of the room, near the fire place. "Nothing," I murmured.

All of a sudden, my mind began to envision Taylor lying in front of the fireplace, wrapped in nothing but a bearskin rug. As the fantasy continued, Taylor smiled wickedly, beckoning me to join him. The mirage ended and I observed Taylor's lips, lifting in a slow smile as he observed my crimson cheeks.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" He raised an amused eyebrow.

_Just thinking about you naked in fur_.

"No reason. I'm going for a walk," I spoke quickly. A walk sounded great right about now. It would help me get my thoughts in order plus, it would place some much needed distance between me and that sexy rug in front of the fireplace.

Taylor picked up my parka from the couch and brought it over to me. I turned around and he held it out while I slipped one arm in after the other. With my jacket on, Taylor spun me around then proceeded to zip up my jacket.

"Don't be too long. The sun is about to set," Taylor murmured, handing me my mittens.

"I won't. If I'm not back in ten minutes, send the army after me," I joked lightly. I peered through my eyelashes at Taylor to find him staring down at me with one of his intense expressions on his face. That look alone was enough to send my heart into overdrive.

Pulling myself out of his arms, his hands slid away from me, and I repeated, "I won't be long." I opened the door then quickly closed it shut behind me, without giving him a chance to respond. I needed to think and had to do it away from Taylor. He was just too damn distracting.

Outside on the porch, the cold winter air stung my face and hands. I slipped on my mittens, tugged the fur hood onto my head before jogging down the steps. Wrapping my arms around my chest, I crossed the driveway and entered the sparse tree line.

The snow crunched beneath my black, winter boots and the air smelled damp. Golden rays peeked through the trees as I glance up at the partially cloudy sky. I walked with no real idea of where I was headed; stopping occasionally to make sure I could still see the cabin from where I was. It wasn't snowing but a snow storm was predicted for later on that night. It would be the perfect weather for sitting by a roaring fireplace with someone special.

Stuffing my hands in my pocket, I slowed my steps to a lazy stroll, staring at the snow covered floor in front of me. Once again my mind drifted back to Ryan's words to me in the car. I knew him and Liz were secretly hoping that Taylor and I would get together, but they didn't know about the tornadoes that tended to follow my relationships around.

It wasn't that I didn't care about him. The problem was that I cared too much. Edward was right; Taylor Reed was a dangerous man, just not as a result of his powers. He was menacing because he made me want to try. Lately, my mind had been wandering a dangerous path, wondering if he just might be worth the risk.

I suddenly remembered something Alice said when I'd first moved into the apartment. She said that I would meet _him_ later. By _him_, did she mean Taylor? Then I recalled her recent text messages, telling me to kiss him. Did she have a vision about us? Did she see us happy together? I knew her visions were based on decisions and therefore, subject to change, so they couldn't fully be trusted. Alice said that I hadn't made the decision to be happy yet, but was it really that simple? I was wise enough to know that the answer to that question was no.

I wasn't the same weak, weepy girl that I used to be. But, shit- I wasn't made of steel either. Just the thought of opening myself up like that again was enough to make me want to run off screaming into the night.

In the distance ahead, I spotted the setting sun through the trees and headed in that direction. After ducking beneath a low hanging branch, I arrived at the edge of a cliff. In an attempt to see how far down the cliff went, I got at close to the edge as I dared and peeped over it. All I saw more trees blanketed with snow and quickly took a step backward. I wasn't able to see the bottom as it was obscured by jagged rocks. I turned my gaze toward the dying rays of the sun as it slowly descended in the sky.

My body jerked in alarm as I heard a twig snap behind me. I gasped and whirl around just in time to spot Taylor emerging from the trees. He was wearing the hooded, grey winter jacket I'd bought him for his birthday.

Willing my heart to calm down, I placed a hand on my chest. "Jeez, Taylor. Way to freak me out."

A small smile graced his lips. "Sorry. It's been twenty minutes, so I came to find you."

_My personal, one man army_.

Twenty minutes? I didn't realize I'd been gone for so long. It was so cute the way he worried about me. "How did you find me?"

"I just followed the footsteps in the snow." Taylor replied with his eyes solely fixed on me. He seemed to have something he wanted to say to me. So I remained still, waiting to hear what it was.

"That night at the vacation house… It wasn't a dream, was it?" Taylor queried with the barest hint of a frown on his brows.

The abrupt change in topic surprised me but instantly, I knew what he was referring to. I suppose this conversation had been a long time coming.

My eyes glanced away from Taylor for a moment before I answered truthfully. "No, it wasn't."

From the look on his face, I gathered that he was already knew that. But, for some reason felt he needed me to confirm it. "Maybe we should talk about it."

"There's nothing to discuss, Taylor. You were drunk, we both were." Despite my dismissing tone, my stomach was knotted with anxiety.

The frown on his brows became more pronounced and his mouth hardened into the thin, stubborn line that I was very familiar with. He wasn't willing to let me off the hook so easily. "So that's it? You're just going to brush it off as a drunken mistake?" Taylor asked disbelievingly.

I shrugged my shoulders helplessly. "What else can we do?"

"We can stop beating around the bush and talk about what's been happening between us for years." The snow crunched under his hiking boots as he advanced one step in my direction and I fought the urge to take a step backward. I was acutely aware of my precarious position near the edge of the cliff.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Taylor." This conversation was beginning to scare me. Especially since I really didn't have any answers to give him.

A cold wind blew and I shivered, wrapping my arms around my chest in an attempt to stay warm. Taylor's eyes shifted from my face to my arms. "We'll talk about this at the cabin. Let's head back. It's starting to get-" Taylor suddenly stopped talking. A scowl marred his face and his eyes darted from side to side.

_What's he doing?_ He cocked his head to the side, trying to listen to something.

After a second of silence, I heard it too.

It was the distinct sound of crumbling stone. It seemed as if time slowed and everything happened in slow motion. Our eyes locked and widened in realization, moments before the ground shifted under my feet. Taylor ran toward me, screaming my name, but it was too late. I was already falling over the edge and he disappeared from my sight.

Frigid wind whipped past my face as the hood of my jacket slipped off my head. My hair escaped, swept around my head, blinding my vision. The terror I experienced was so great, that I couldn't even scream.

I was going to die.

I was about to die alone.

Then strong arms wrapped around me and I was pulled to a warm, protective chest. I inhaled deeply, breathing in a masculine scent.

It was Taylor!

The idiot jumped after me!

"Hold on." Taylor tightened his grip on me before the strangest thing happened. It felt like we were somehow slowing down. But as soon as I'd registered that thought, we slammed into a jagged rock. I heard Taylor groan and our bodies began to pick up speed again.

I closed my eyes, convinced that these were our final moments together. At that instant, the only feeling I felt was relief, relief that I wasn't going to die alone. We hit more rocks; our bodies tumbled and twisted painfully in the air. Pain exploded in my head and my consciousness floated away. My body relaxed and I let the darkness claim me, accepting the end.

* * *

**A/N: **So Dillon's not giving up, eh?

I wonder what Leah's reaction will be when Zach and Suzie Q show up at her door.

Ryan is such a guy. Any woman with a husband or boyfriend, you know what I mean.

**Coming up next:**Bella and Taylor's lives hang in the balance.

Will they come out unscathed?

The cold won't be their only enemy in the fight to survive as something dangerous find them.

**Monday** or **Thursday**... Your call peeps.


	41. This is really bad

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 41

Cold… I felt cold. There wasn't a part of my body that remained untouched by the chill.

_Am I dead? I don't think I'm dead if I feel cold._

I drew in a deep, ragged breath before abruptly bursting into a coughing fit. It seemed that I'd also inhaled bit of snow as I was lying on my stomach. I tried to move my limbs but was only slightly successful. My head ached as I opened my eyes and I froze.

I couldn't see a thing. Panicked welled up in my chest. _Oh, God. Am I blind?_ My fingers were splayed and grasping as I forced my right hand into action. My elbow made an audible crack as it bent at the joint and I dragged my hand through the snow in the direction of my face. I groped blindly at my head and was relieved to discover that it was covered by the furry hood of my jacket. Pulling it away from my face, my blurry eyes adjusted to the darkness, taking in the sight of trees a short distance away.

_Oh, sweet merciful sight. I can see!_

_Wait, where am I? _

Memories of falling off the cliff flooded my mind, and I gasped weakly, "Taylor."

_Where is he?_

My arms trembled as I slowly raised myself up, bracing my upper body on my hands. My body stiffened with shock when I experienced a sharp pain in my right ankle. I tried to move it again and hissed in pain. It didn't feel broken, just badly sprained. Craning my neck, I searched my immediate surroundings and found him lying motionless in the snow a few meters away. With great effort, I began my slow and arduous journey, crawling toward him. All the while praying that he was still alive.

I reached out a hand and grabbed a hold of his jacket, pulling my body close to his. "Taylor?" I called in a shaking voice. He didn't respond. _Is he_… I couldn't even complete that thought.

He had a bloody gash on the side of his forehead, other than that there were no other injuries. I placed my hands on his chest and shook him frantically. "Taylor, wake up."

Taylor groaned but didn't open his eyes. A relieved, choked sob escaped my lips and I smiled gratefully. "You're alive." He was hurt but I wasn't sure how badly. "Everything's going to be fine. I'll get us out of this." Even as I spoke those reassuring words, a tangible wave of worry washed over my mind.

How long had we been unconscious?

Did Liz and Ryan know we were missing?

I looked up at the cliff we fell from, trying to locate the top. But my sight was hampered by various rocks, jutting out of the cliff. In addition to that, the only light I had to see by was the light of the moon. Rummaging around in my pockets, I searched for my cell phone, but the only thing I found was my apartment keys. I'd left my phone back at the cabin.

Suddenly, a howl broke through the silence and I froze. It didn't sound like it came from nearby.

_Is that a wolf or a coyote?_

Taylor's groan drew my attention and I decided to try his pockets. _Maybe he has a phone. _Aligning my body next to his, I dug my hands into his pockets and prayed for success. Disappointment weighed heavily on me when I came up empty-handed. This was bad. We were both injured with no way to contact anyone.

_What are we going to do?_

My shoulders slumped before I heard a deep, weary voice, "Once again, I wake up and you're trying to take advantage of me."

My head snapped up to find that Taylor was awake and smiling at me. Even in our current predicament, he was still trying to make jokes. Clumsily, I moved closer and Taylor followed my movements with dazed eyes.

I leaned over him and stroked his face lightly, mindful of the wound on his head. "Are you okay?"

"I've been better. What happened?" Taylor managed, but I heard the strained effort in his voice. His eyes rolled closed and he swallowed thickly.

"We fell off a cliff. Don't you remember?" I frowned, worrying he might have a concussion.

"Not really." Taylor seemed to have trouble keeping his eyes focused when I leaned in close to examine his injury on his head.

My stomach clenched slightly at the sight of the blood and I admonished myself. This wasn't the time to be fragile. Forcing my squeamishness aside, I continued my amateur examination of his head wound. The cut didn't look very deep, nor did it look like it was still bleeding.

A strong, icy gust of wind blew and I instinctively leaned in closer to Taylor. It wasn't snowing yet, but I knew it would sooner or later. We had no way of knowing if anyone was looking for us. Even if they were looking, would they look in the right place? We couldn't wait to be found. It would begin to snow soon and we were out in the open. Freezing to death was a very real possibility.

But which direction should we go? Climbing up the cliff was out of the question. It didn't make sense going into the trees. We could get lost and end up going in circles. No, our best chance was to stay close to the stone wall. Eventually, we would find a path that would lead us back up to the top. I wouldn't allow myself to think otherwise.

Pulling myself from my thoughts, I return my attention to Taylor who was still observing me with a dazed expression on his face. "Can you stand up, Taylor?"

"I can try. Why?" The thought alone of getting up was enough to line Taylor's face with exhaustion.

"We have to get out of here. It's going to start snowing soon and we have to find a way back to the top." As I said this, a surge of cold wind blew and I shivered. If it began to snow before we were able to find our way to the top, we would have to find shelter. But we would cross that bridge when we came to it.

The first order of business was to get Taylor on his feet. Taylor placed hands in the snow and tired to push his body upright. I helped him into sitting position and he groaned, shutting his eyes in pain. My brows knitted with worry as he sat still, waiting for the pain to subside.

After a few moments, he raised his head and I inquired, "Are you okay?"

"I'm good." He managed to ground out.

It would be easier to help Taylor on his feet if I was standing first. He watched as I struggled to my feet and bit back a scream when I placed pressure on my injured ankle. Pain radiated from my ankle, and shot up my leg as I attempted to place some weight on it. I stumbled through the pain but managed to keep myself standing.

Taylor surveyed my less than graceful ascent and questioned softly, "How badly are you hurt, Isabella?"

"I'm fine. It's just a twinge." I sought to reassure him. Taylor didn't look convinced but decided not to call me out on my lie. I was grateful for that because it allowed me to keep my optimism up. I didn't need to think about how much my head and ankle hurt, my aching joints or just how bad our situation was. As long as I didn't think about how vulnerable and cold we were, then everything would be fine.

Taylor clasped my outstretched hand and I braced myself as he gingerly climbed to his feet. In an attempt to steady Taylor, I wrapped my arms around his waist and his hands instinctively went around my shoulders, pulling me close. Taylor looked like he was on the verge of passing out again as he swayed on his feet. I couldn't help the groan that escaped my lips as Taylor's encumbrance forced me to press down on my sprained ankle.

Upon hearing my groan, Taylor gently tilted my face upwards and queried, "Just a twinge, huh?"

A wan smile flittered across my face. "Just a twinge," I reaffirmed feebly. Increasing my grip on Taylor's torso, I added, "Come on. Let's get moving."

In a measure to preserve body heat, I adjusted the hood on his head before securing my own. Taylor's hands clutched at my shoulder protectively and I huddled my body close to his, trying to warm up. With the forest on our left and the wall on our right, we began our journey. At first, we both tried our best not to lean on the each other but, in the end, we were unable to do anything else. For the most part, we traveled in silence, choosing to devote all of our waning energy toward walking. From watching countless survival shows, I knew that sweating in the snow could lead to hypothermia. With this thought in mind, I made sure we stopped every few minutes or so to rest and cool down.

Another howl tore through the wintry night and I turned my head slightly in the direction of the sound. Maybe it was just my imagination but the howl sounded closer than before. What worried me even more was the fact that the howl came from the direction we'd journeyed from.

I shifted my gaze to a disoriented Taylor who appeared not to have heard the howl at all. He seemed to be having enough problems just staying conscious. As much as he tried to keep his weight off me, it was pointless. Every so often, his head would roll forward and he would press down on me. It was all I could do to keep us upright at those times. All the times I'd observed Taylor before, I never realized just how heavy he was. And with my injured ankle, I felt every pound.

Feelings of paranoia worked their way into my mind and I began to throw anxious glances at the trees. The blowing wind made the moving tree limbs resemble claws. The darkness of the forest appeared even more menacing than before. My eyes were beginning to play tricks on me.

My mind wandered to Liz and Ryan. They had to have noticed we were missing by now, right? Were they looking for us? Looking out of the corner of his eye, Taylor noticed my distraction and sought to reassure me. "We're going to be all right."

"How do you know that?"

He smiled enigmatically. "I have a good feeling about us." _Us?_ Was he talking about our situation or _us_?

"Well, does your good feeling also say if we're going in the right direction or not?" I snapped moodily.

Taylor gave me a tolerant smile and I immediately felt guilty. It wasn't his fault we were lost. He was only trying to make the best out of a crappy situation. "I'm sorry I snapped at you. It's just that…" my voice trailed off.

"Just what?"

"I'm just so angry with myself. I put us in this position. I mean, if I hadn't decided to take that stupid walk, we wouldn't be in this mess," I admitted guiltily.

_We could be sitting by a warm, cozy fireplace right now. But instead, here we are freezing our asses off in the snow_, I mentally kicked myself.

Never being one to place blame, Taylor tried to assuage my self-condemnation. "Don't beat yourself up. It's not like you knew that you would fall off a cliff."

I adjusted my grip on his torso before continuing. "You know… I never thanked you."

"Thanked me for what?" His voice sounded a little winded. We would need to stop and rest soon.

"For jumping after me. I still can't believe you did that." Taylor took the brunt of the blows in the fall. I was certain that if I fell alone, I would probably be splattered all over the snow right now. Taylor had to have done something in the fall. _Did he use his ability?_ There was no way we could have survived a fall of that height with our injuries otherwise. I owed him my life.

"I would do anything to keep you safe, Isabella."

I didn't need to see Taylor's face to know that he was giving me one of his intense gazes right now. Heat flooded my cheeks as I kept my eyes on the path ahead of us.

"Well, thanks," I murmured bashfully. Taylor Reed was the kind of guy to risk his life for someone he cared about. I felt the sensation of butterflies in my stomach but used an imaginary swatter to chase them away. Now was _so_ not the time for those kinds of feelings.

We fell silent again for a few more minutes until Taylor insisted we stop to rest. He slid down the length of my body and I helped him into a sitting position. He leaned his head back on the wall with an exhausted sigh and closed his eyes. Wordlessly, Taylor yanked on my hand, wanting me to sit beside him but I declined. For some reason, my instincts were telling me to stand.

Every time I heard the howls, they seemed to be getting closer. Another howl echoed through the night and immediately, I knew that something was wrong. Nerves rattling, I stepped closer to the trees, peering into the creepy darkness. As I continued to stare into the blackness, there seemed to be a shadow moving through the trees. My heart leapt up in my throat and I began taking slow steps backwards.

My voice cracked as I whispered, "T-Taylor, get up. We have to go now." When I didn't hear him moving, I threw a quick glance over my shoulder.

Taylor was lying on his side in the snow. He'd passed out again.

_Oh God. This is bad._

The wind whipped my fur hood off my head as my gaze returned to the trees. My eyes darted back and forth, looking for any more signs of moving shadows. It was at that instant, above the shrieking wind, I heard it.

It was the sound of growling.

My eyes widened with fear and my heart raced in my chest. I stood petrified at the sight before me. The source of the growling emerged from the obscurity of the trees, stepping forward into the light of the moon.

It was a wolf.

It wasn't the size that I'd become accustomed to dealing with, but it was large enough to do some serious damage. Another growl tore loose from the wolf's mouth as it bared its teeth as me. Its eyes were wild and feral and… _hungry_.

_This is really bad.

* * *

_**A/N:** You guys really made me smile with your reviews in the last chapter. I'm so glad to hear how much you all enjoy this story.

Even if I someday stop updating this story on this site, I will still complete it, so that I can get it out of my head and return to normal life as a reader.

I write this story for myself. But I keep updating for you guys. Thanks.

**Coming up next:** Bella is all that stands between Taylor and death on four legs.

Who will win the battle in the survival of the fittest?

There's a surprise at the end of the next chapter. Something a lot of you have been longing for. Wink!

Depending on how my writer's block goes, I'll try to update **Monday**.


	42. At least his socks aren't smelly

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 42

_This is really bad._

I wanted to go back in time. Back to when I decided to go for a walk and smack the crap out of myself. I preferred having a million tense, uncomfortable discussions with Taylor to being out here right now. Anyplace else would be better than where we currently were. Injured and lost in the wilderness with a dangerous predator poised to attack us at any second.

The wolf's sliver and white fur gleamed in the moonlight. With eyes firmly fixed on me, the wolf's lips curled, revealing sharp fangs before it let loose another hair-raising snarl. Cold dread curled in my stomach and my heart sped up, pounding away furiously in my chest.

_Wolves don't attack people_. Not unless they were injured or starved. The wolf didn't look injured, nor did it look malnourished. However, it did look… _hungry_. It was most likely the scent of Taylor's blood that drew it to us. I had no doubt that prey was scarce during winter, but it was believed that wolves usually avoided humans because they were afraid of us. Whoever came up with that theory deserved to be shot. This wolf wasn't the least bit afraid of me.

My weak voice was almost lost to the icy wind as I tried once again to rouse Taylor. "Wake up, Taylor."

A quick glance over my shoulder confirmed that he was still lying unresponsive in the snow.

_You sure picked a good time to pass out on me_, I grumbled silently.

I needed to find something to chase it away with. My eyes scanned my immediate surroundings, searching for anything I could use as a weapon. I spotted a tree branch lying several feet away from where I stood. It was too far away. In the corner of my mind, I didn't think that I would make it to the stick in time, but there was no other alternative. That branch was our only means of defense, so I would have to try.

I took a tiny step, inching my way to the branch and the wolf imitated my movement. The wolf's ears flattened against its head, its body went rigid and I knew with out a shadow of a doubt, it was about to attack. It was now or never.

Ignoring the sharp pain in my ankle, I whirled around and made a run for the branch. Frosty wind bit at my face and snow crunched under my shoes. A growl sounded behind me and I pushed myself harder. It sounded so close. I dared not look back for fear that I would trip. This was a nightmare of epic proportions, being chased down by a savage beast. My chest heaved in effort, pumping frozen air in and out of my lungs. Adrenaline rushed through my veins and I began to believe that I would make it. I was almost there. This was my final thought before the wolf collided with me, knocking me to the frozen ground.

I'd only managed to roll over on my back moments before the wolf sprang into the air. Instinctively, I screamed and raised my arms in defense as the wolf flew at me, biting and snapping at my face.

"_Taylor! Help me!"_ I screamed moments before the wolf's jaw clamped down on my hand.

A dizzying wave of pain swept through me as the wolf's fangs pierced my mittens before ripping into my skin. The wolf backed off, releasing my hand when I punched it in the ear with my other hand. But the hunter was far from finished as it rushed at me once more, this time latching on to my forearm.

Its teeth broke through the sleeve of my jacket then tore into my flesh. The power behind the bite stunned me and I shrieked out in agony. I felt the wolf's teeth graze against my bones. The wolf began to shake its head from side to side and white hot, searing pain radiated up my arm. In wild panic, I used my free hand to beat at the wolf's muzzle in an attempt to free myself. The wolf remained unaffected by my ineffectual blows and continued in its mission to tear a chunk of out me.

_I'm going to die._

My vision dimmed and I realized that I was on the verge of fainting. I never thought that it was possible to faint from fright alone but it was happening. And I was so tempted to let the darkness claim me. I was exhausted and in so much pain. Anything would be better than being consciously eaten alive.

This was my fault. All because I wanted to see nature, and now nature was about to devour us like a bucket of chicken.

I wondered what would happen to Taylor if I gave up and let myself die. The wolf would surely go after him when it was finished with me. Liz would be destroyed to not only loose her best friend but her brother also. I couldn't let that happen.

_I have to protect him._

_I have to keep him safe._

I renewed my struggles against the wolf, kicking and screaming with all my might. Desperately, my hand clawed and dug at the snow around me, trying to find anything to use as a weapon. My hand found purchase before closing around a loose, jagged rock. With what was left of my waning strength, I brought it down hard on the wolf's skull.

As the rock made contact with the wolf, I heard a crack. The wolf let out a startled yelp then loosened its grip on my arm. Taking advantage of this, I slammed the rock down on its head again. This time the blow drew blood and the wolf released my arm, jumping away from me.

The wolf eyed me warily as I shakily climbed to my feet, holding the rock in front of me like a dagger. A vicious snarl spilled out of the wolf as it barred its bloody teeth at me, holding its ground. It was obviously not about to give up so easily. Especially now that it had tasted my blood.

Time seemed to stop as I squared off with the wolf. I couldn't let it end this way. I had other plans. There were so many things I wanted to do with my life. Slowly, I spread my feet apart, bracing myself for the next attack. As I did this, something hard bumped into my foot and a hesitant glance revealed that it was the broken branch. I wanted to bend down and grab it but I knew doing that would leave me wide open for another attack.

The wolf took a step toward me and I made up my mind. This battle was about the survival of the fittest and I intended to win. I had to take the chance. The branch would make a better weapon. In an instant, I bent down making a grab for the branch just as the wolf snarled and lunged at me once again. As soon as my hand closed around the wood, I swung hard and was rewarded with a pain-filled yelp as blow knocked the wolf to the ground.

Seeing that its intended meal was not as defenseless as it appeared, the wolf decided to retreat. I followed it with my eyes as it disappeared into the woods. At first, all I could do was stand there. I kept expecting the wolf to come back and attack again. But as the seconds ticked by, there was no sound other than the howling of the frigid wind.

Eventually, I realized that my entire body was shaking as I stood frozen with shock. My breaths came in short, shallow pants. I could hardly believe it. Once again, I fought for my life against an inhuman beast and won. The throbbing pain in my forearm drew my attention and I realized I was bleeding. My mitten was soaked with blood and the sleeve of my jacket was torn wide open, exposing the mutilated flesh of my arm. Blood dripped from my fingertips, staining the white snow. I didn't need to see the wounds to know that they were deep.

_We have to get out of here._

That wolf could come back for us. I scanned the snow and found Taylor still unconscious on his side. Moving carefully, I hobbled unsteadily, limping my way over to him. I cried out and almost fell when a stabbing pain shot up my calf but I used the branch to right myself. Gritting my teeth in determination, I pushed the pain away, reminding myself that now was not the time to be weak and scared. I was already down to one good arm and leg. We weren't completely out of danger, not yet.

Exhaustion was evident in my body as I collapsed on my knees in the snow next to Taylor. Although I tried to wake him, he was still dead to the world. "Taylor, get up."

I kept throwing anxious glances at the trees, trying to keep an eye out for the wolf. Using my good arm, I pulled Taylor until he rolled unto his back. He was so freaking heavy. Once again, I tried to shake him awake with no success. I was beginning to panic. Was he dead? I couldn't do this on my own. The only thing worse than being lost, was to be lost all by yourself.

_Damn it, Taylor! You can't do this to me!_

"Taylor, wake up!" My good hand shot out and slapped him hard across the face. The mitten softened the blow somewhat but it was still enough to rouse him.

Tears stung my eyes as he groaned and mumbled, "What the hell, woman?" His eyes appeared dazed then changed to worried as they took in my haggard appearance. He sat up slowly, holding the wound on his head. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, you passed out again and we have to go," I spoke quickly whilst tugging on his arm.

Taylor's gaze zeroed in on my bloody, tattered sleeve and a deep crease appeared on his forehead. "What happened?" He asked tersely. I pulled away as he motioned to touch my arm.

I was on the edge of hysteria. All I wanted to do was get away from this spot. "We don't have time for this! We have to go!"

Taylor moved quickly, grabbing my face between his hands and forced me to look at him. "What happened?" He queried in a no-nonsense tone of voice.

After I took a deep breath to calm myself down, I explained, "There was a wolf. It bit me… I hit it with a stick. It ran away but it could come back. We have to leave."

I watched the guilt in his eyes change to rage as he surveyed the increasingly ominous looking forest. "Okay."

It began to snow lightly as we wrestled ourselves into standing position and set off. I was sweating as a result of my scuffle with the wolf. I knew it was a bad sign. Something like that could bring on hypothermia. Shivers racked Taylor's body and his lips were beginning to turn blue. We would be screwed if we didn't find any sort of shelter soon. At any other time, it might have been wise to seek shelter in the trees but the shadows of the forest would provide too many hiding places for the wolf. We didn't want to offer it any chances to sneak up on us, so we decided to stay out in the open.

After about fifteen minutes of walking, we came upon a small cave, carved into the mountain side. Taylor and I shared a look, no doubt thinking the same thing. We could use it to wait out the storm and continue on in the morning. But we needed to proceed cautiously. Something else might have already been living in that cave.

Carefully, we approached the cave and peered into the darkness, trying to see inside. I suddenly remembered that I had a small flashlight on my keychain. Ryan brought it for me after the whole attempted rape and murder thing. I took out my keys and handed it to Taylor. I was beginning to feel slightly lightheaded from the blood loss.

Maintaining a firm grip on my hand, Taylor edged his way into the cave warily, using the flashlight to slice into the blackness. A while later, he allowed himself to relax with an audible sigh. Except for a few rocks and pieces of wood, the cave was empty. It wasn't much but it was dry and a hell of a lot warmer than it was outside.

I gingerly eased myself down the wall to occupy a space on the floor. Grateful to be off my feet, I observed Taylor as he moved around the small cave. He seemed to be in search of something. As he began to gather dried leaves and rocks from the ground, I quizzed, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to try to get a fire going," He answered while going about the business of organizing the rocks, wood and scraps of grass and leaves he found.

When he passed the flashlight for me to hold, I bit my tongue, choosing to remain silent. I didn't want to mention what happened the last time Mr. Caveman tried to start a fire without matches. This was definitely not the time to be negative.

I tried to hold the light steady as he angled the rocks over the kindling, striking them against each other repeatedly. A few times, Taylor's hands slipped and he ended up banging his finger but he kept on trying despite the obvious pain he was in. Just as I was about to encourage him to give up, the kindle began to smolder and I almost cried with joy. After all the crap we'd been through tonight, we'd finally caught a break.

Taylor leaned in and began blowing gently on the smoke from the side until we eventually had a small flame. He then began to feed it the pieces of wood and twigs he'd gathered.

Soon enough, the close confines of the cave were illuminated by the flickering glow of the fire. Taylor moved away from the flames to occupy the space close to me.

He reached for my injured arm. "Come on, let me see."

Gently, Taylor eased off the bloodied mitten of my injured hand and I bit back a groan. The puncture wounds weren't bleeding any more but they still throbbed like hell. Ignoring my protests, Taylor bent over and removed his shoes then his socks. Returning his attention to me, he tenderly wrapped one sock around the palm of my hand.

_At least his socks aren't smelly,_ I thought with a smile. Taylor caught my expression and asked, "What's with the smile?"

"I was just thinking that I'd be unconscious right now if those socks belonged to Ryan and his jungle feet." I smirked then winced as Taylor applied pressure to my hand.

Taylor barked out a short laugh and snorted, "You got that right." Ryan had the ability to kill flies and people with his shoes. _Leave it to Ryan and his smelly feet to bring some much needed amusement to our situation_, I mused with a touch of melancholy.

When Taylor was finished with my hand, he carefully rolled up the sleeve of my jacket, exposing my forearm. Tormented guilt flickered across his face when he took in the extent of the damage. There were more puncture wounds and the flesh on my forearm had been jaggedly torn open by the wolf's teeth. My arm looked like it had been used as a chew toy. I would definitely have scars from the attack.

Using his other sock, Taylor enfolded my arm, creating a makeshift bandage. At my pain-filled grimace, Taylor apologized, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. It doesn't hurt that much anymore."

Seeing that I misread what he was referring to, Taylor clarified, "That's not what I'm talking about. I meant sorry for passing out when you needed me. You could have been killed and I wouldn't have known."

"It's not your fault, Taylor. You're hurt too." I gazed at his face, smiling blooming on my lips. "Besides, the way I see it, we're even. You saved my life, I saved yours."

I knew Taylor did something to prevent us from dying in that fall. There was no way we survived a fall like that, with only minor injuries. Briefly, my mind flashed back to the sensation of slowing down when we were falling. _Was he responsible for that?_

I was so lost in thought that I didn't realize that Taylor was intently observing my face until he lightly brushed his hand against my cheek. Embarrassed by his tender gaze, I shifted my attention to my bandaged arm. A soft gasp escaped my lips as I was abruptly encircled in his strong arms and pulled against his chest.

"I don't know what I would have done if anything happened to you." He murmured against my ear. A warm stream of breath fanned my neck.

"I feel the same way." With my face buried in his neck, my voice sounded muffled. I swallowed around the lump in my throat.

It was funny how almost dying made you appreciative of the people in your life. I meant what I said. I didn't know what I would've done if something happened to Taylor or any of my friends for that matter. Our lives were so entwined that I just couldn't picture my life without them. Didn't want to either. We were more than just friends, we were family.

And Taylor well… he was steadily working his way into a section of my heart that I preferred to remain unoccupied. I never realized how much I'd come to depend on him. There was some truth to Ryan's words. Taylor and I did fit. We were easy, simple. Nothing between us was ever overstated or forced. With Taylor, I experienced a sort of security I'd never truly felt with Edward or Jacob. It was the kind of assurance I'd never felt dating the vampire with a crazed thirst for my blood or the werewolf that would have left me the moment he laid eyes on his soul mate. I had to be completely honest with myself. Not only did I _not_ want to share Taylor with Amber, I didn't want to share him with anyone else for that matter.

_God, I am still so damn selfish._

All of my reasoning and logic flew out the door when Taylor lightly grazed his lips over my ear. I couldn't explain what made me do what I did next. Slowly, I moved my lips from the material of his jacket, allowing it trail tenderly along the exposed skin of his neck. My boldness obviously surprised him for a moment as he stilled all of his movements.

I paused just for a second to rethink my actions. Was I really about to do this? Test the sexual tension between us? One kiss couldn't hurt, right? I liked Taylor and he liked me. We should just do it and get it out of the way. If the kiss was lousy, then we could brush it off as if it never happened and go back to being us. No harm, no foul. On the other hand, if it was good, then… we would cross that bridge when we came to it.

He shuddered marginally as I began to plant tiny butterfly kisses along his neck and strong jaw line. Feeling empowered by his response, I drew away slightly to peer up at him through my lashes. In the glow of the fire, the expression his face was a mixture of uncertainty and burning hunger. I blinked and the uncertainty was gone. He wanted this as much as I did.

With the decision made, Taylor leaned down close to my face, stopping just a breath away from my lips. The arms around me tightened and he paused, giving me enough time to reconsider. But he didn't need to bother. I had no intention of backing down or pulling away. I wanted this with every bitten and aching part of my body. His arms constricted once more, drawing me flush against his firm chest.

_Just one kiss…_

That was my final thought before he captured my mouth with his.

* * *

**A/N:**Okay so I know I'm like 2 weeks late but after seven months of non-stop writing, it happened. The worst case of writer's block I have ever had. It took 2 weeks as opposed to 5 days to finish one chapter. So I apologize for my lateness. Am I forgiven? (makes puppy eyes)

**Back to the story:** So, how did Bella do against the wolf?

A stroke of luck finding that cave, huh?

And they finally kiss. I can almost hear Team Taylors everywhere cheering... and Team Jacob booing.

**Coming up next:** The kiss.

Some sexy teasing goes down in the cave.

Bella and Taylor come to an agreement regarding their relationship.

Taylor opens up and talks about his parents and his Spanish family.

Rescue?

**A/N:** I'm working hard to give you guys an early update. We'll see. Monday or Thursday.


	43. No moaning in the cave

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 43

_Just one kiss…_

_That was my final thought before he captured my mouth with his. _

All thoughts of pain, cold and hunger disappeared only to be replaced with a different kind of hunger. There was no misunderstanding the message in that kiss.

_No more holding back_.

It didn't start off as teasing or soft. From the very start, it was a strong, dominating kiss. Meant to do only one thing; to conquer.

My heartbeat sped up frantically in my chest, and I couldn't help but cling to him with my good arm, fingers clutching at his broad shoulders. A soft gasp slid past my lips as Taylor slipped one of his hands past my jacket and sweater, resting his heated palm on my back. Taking advantage of my parted lips, Taylor slanted his head before delving his tongue into my mouth. He elicited a deep growl as I took his tongue between my lips, sucking on it as he thrust unrelentingly, plundering my mouth. I arched my body against his in response as he made a burning trail up my spine with his fingers.

There were no coherent thoughts left in my mind. Every inch of my body was consumed by exhilarated emotions burning with liquid hot desire. Taylor's scent, his taste, his touch invaded my senses and spread rapidly throughout my body in an unstoppable wave of carnal need. His lips were like a drug that I couldn't get enough of, would never get enough of. It had been a long time since I'd been so thoroughly kissed.

Reflexively, I dug my nails into the bunching muscles of his shoulders, and he brought his free hand to caress the nape of my neck in an almost primal act of possession. His heady kisses were growing hungrier by the second, fueling my own pleasurable moans as I kissed him back with wild abandon.

Taylor Reed had been holding back with me and apparently… he'd also been holding _out_ on me too.

We were pressed so tightly against each other and yet it still felt like we weren't close enough. Taylor must have felt this way too as he reached down with the intention of lifting my leg so I could sit on his lap. But his hand went too low and brushed up against my damaged ankle. With a pain-filled hiss, I reluctantly wrenched my mouth away from his.

_Damn you, ankle! I'd forgotten about you._

For the second time that night, time seemed to stand still as we stared at each other in silence, chests heaving up and down. His face was even more devastatingly handsome by firelight. His darkened eyes were heavily hooded, burning with barely contained flames of lust. I was sure my face held a similar expression.

_And oh damn_. I'd managed to find those presumably elusive sparks. His kiss ranked right up there beside my first kiss with Edward and Jacob. Well, the second kiss with Jacob. I refused to count the first one where he mauled me and I slugged him for it.

Taylor leaned in again and pressed another searing kiss on my lips and I bit back a whine of complaint. It was much too short. He gathered me in his arms, tucking my head under his chin.

His voice sounded husky and a little breathless. "I've been wanting to do that ever since the first day we met."

"Really?" His admission surprised me as in the past; Taylor had never once pressured me or made me feel uncomfortable with his feelings. He'd always been careful to keep our relationship strictly platonic and his desires to himself.

"Yes," Taylor admitted.

Eventually, those nagging little thoughts began to seep their way into my mind, driving me to fret silently. _What happens now? What does this mean? Are we a thing now? Will this change things between us now?_

With so many questions floating around in my mind, my body began to tense up and Taylor murmured, "Stop freaking out."

"What? How did you know I was doing that?"

"Because I know you. You have a tendency to over think things. Just relax and let it happen." Mindful of my arm, Taylor rubbed my shoulders in an attempt to warm me up.

Could I really do that? Why not? It wasn't as if he was asking me to marry him or anything like that. I mean hell… he wasn't even asking for a relationship. As long as he didn't start talking about the future and forever, things would be all right. There was no rush to figure things out right now anyway. Especially since, we didn't know whether or not we would make it out of here alive.

We needed to discuss a few things and I didn't want to be pressed up against him while we did it. His proximity made it difficult to formulate logical thoughts. I pulled away from him slightly and began, "Taylor, I… um like you a lot-"

"- I like you a lot too." Taylor interrupted with an annoying sexy smile.

Determined not to be sidetracked, I pressed on. "But I don't know if I'm ready to…" _fall in love, get left and go crazy again_ "… place labels on us just yet. Could we just, I don't know, go slow maybe?"

I wasn't the stupid teenager that I used to be. Old Bella jumped in relationships without thinking things through. Old Bella walked around with her feelings hanging out and ended up devastated when someone kicked her in the heart. Nope, not the same girl. Now, I was the woman with abandonment issues and an almost crippling commitment phobia. But I was also the woman who took the time to figure shit out, who said what she meant and meant what she said. I hoped Taylor would understand that I needed a little more time.

Taylor paused for a second, searching my face for something before answering, "I understand. We'll go as slow as you want." I smiled. _He does understand_. "But-" My smile dimmed a bit. "-we _are_ doing this, right?"

"Doing what?"

"Us."

He was asking for my assurance, despite the fact that I had issues and wanted to remain unlabeled, that we were in this together. He was asking me try.

And even though the fear was still there, clawing at my insides, I answered firmly. "Yes."

A beautiful smile lit up his face before he leaned in to press another world tilting kiss to my lips. I didn't attempt to fight the flames of desire as they flared up again, threatening to burn us alive. _  
_

* * *

I wondered what the others would think about this. Then I decided that it would be best not to let them know about us. At least until I was able to figure out what we were doing. One thing I was certain about though, I was convinced that I didn't want to share him with anyone else. _No freaking way._

"I can tell you one thing though."

"What?" Taylor spoke up from his place behind me. I was currently sitting between his legs and his arms were wrapped tightly around me. Our positions were reminiscent of the time he brushed my hair.

"This is not going to turn into one of those movies, where the starring couple falls into one of those life-threatening situations and they wind up having sex." I declared only to blush as I realized what I just said. _Dear God. Kill me now._

"Well, I don't know. If we run out of wood, we might end up having to do just that to keep warm." His voice grew huskier with each passing word.

"Oh no. Don't even think about it." I was determined to concentrate our efforts on survival and keeping our clothes on.

"You were the one that brought it up." He growled erotically in my ear, deep vibrations rumbled in his chest.

"Well, I'm taking it back," I said, desperately trying to rid my mind of the hazy fog of desire that threatened to overpower my body once more.

"Too late. You already said it and now it's out there in the universe." I started in surprise when he landed a playful nip on my neck.

I drew in a sharp breath when his large hands, upon finding new purpose, began to slide along my stomach. My heart hammered so furiously against my ribcage that I was certain he could feel it despite the thickness of my sweater and jacket. I shivered when those same hands skimmed over my breasts, to land a hold on my zipper. His movements were torturously slow as he began to slide my zipper downward. A long moan slipped from my mouth when his tongue snaked out, dragging against the sensitive skin of my neck.

Blushing in embarrassment, I scold myself, _damn it! No moaning in the cave._

My entire body thrummed with anticipation and I sat perfectly still, waiting for him to make his next move. Again his arm brushed up against my breast and a pleasurable tremor racked my frame. I was seconds away climbing onto his lap, when the bastard hastily zipped up my jacket and pressed a chaste pat on my chest.

My eyes widened with understanding when I realized that the big jerk was just playing with me.

"You're a damn tease, you know that?" My tone was a mixture of annoyance and amusement.

Taylor chuckled in response before murmuring, "Oh, you have no idea."

The howling of the wind reminded us of our current, mood-killing situation and I turned my gaze to snow storm outside. "Do you think Liz and Ryan are looking for us?"

"Well, I'm sure they know we're missing, but I don't think they would be able to look for us in that storm."

"They're probably so worried." Liz and Ryan probably had a search party looking for us already. Well… at least up until the storm broke. Didn't we have the best timing? We just had to be lost around the same time that a snow storm was due to occur.

"How's your head?"

"Better. It doesn't hurt as bad as before and the dizziness is clearing up."

Silence descended between us as I stared at the flickering flames of the fire, deep in thought. If we made it out of this alive, then we would be traveling to Boston before the year was through. I wanted to know more about Taylor's life in Boston. But he always seemed so guarded when it came to discussing his father and mother that I didn't know how to ask.

Normally I wouldn't pry, although I couldn't help but be curious about his past and where he came from. Plus, I knew that Taylor might have still been in danger of a concussion and I didn't want the silence to lull him to sleep. Talking would play an essential part in keep him awake.

Warm lips tickled my skin as he softly inquired, "What are you thinking?"

Before answering, I bit my lip nervously. "I… I was thinking about your parents."

Taylor tensed slightly behind me, pulling his lips away from my neck and almost immediately, I felt colder.

_Great, now I made him uncomfortable._

Just as I was about to tell him never mind, Taylor asked in a curiously quiet tone, "What do you want to know?"

I proceeded with caution, mindful that this was a difficult topic for him. "How did they meet?"

"They met while he was vacationing in Spain with Ryan's parents. When it was time for him to go back, my mother went with him."

It sounded all so romantic. "How long was your father in Spain for?"

"About three weeks. They got married not long after they got to America."

After knowing each other for just three weeks? Wow, it must have been love at first sight for them. They'd probably been so sure that they would be together forever.

"They must have been so in love. I think it was brave of them, putting their hearts on the line like that," I sighed with romantic love on my mind. I envied them that courage. That was the kind of courage I no longer had.

Taylor didn't share my starry-eyed opinion. "Brave or stupid. I guess it depends on how you chose to look at it."

"Why would you say they were stupid?"

"They didn't know each other two months when they got married. And they didn't stay together longer than three years. I think you should take the time to know somebody before rushing into marriage. I don't care that my mother thought he was her-" Taylor abruptly stopped talking.

_Why didn't he finish the sentence?_

I craned my neck to study his face. "Her what?"

His eyes darted away for a moment before he answered, "Her um… soul mate."

_Another half truth,_ I thought to myself.

Shifting my gaze back to the crackling fire, I continued, "Do you know what happened between them? You know… why your mother left him?"

"No, my mother refused to tell anyone what happened, but he must have done something terrible to make her leave him. She never would have left otherwise."

"Do you think… maybe she fell out of love with him?" It couldn't have been the other way around if Taylor's dad waited twenty years before he started dating.

"Impossible." Taylor spoke with absolute conviction in his voice.

"Why is it impossible? You said it yourself; they didn't know each other well enough, so maybe she fell out of love with him. It happens," I reasoned.

"No, that didn't happen. That's not how our family… It just didn't happen, okay?" He replied softly and I read the hidden message in his tone, _drop it_.

I did just that although, I couldn't help but recall Liz's words when she was defending their father to him. _Because you know how it is with us._ What did it all mean? What was the deal with his family?

"What happened after she left him?"

"We went back to Spain where we lived with her family until she… died." His voice faltered and I squeezed his hand in sympathy, remaining silent. There was nothing I could say to comfort him. He continued with a hardened edge to his voice. "She wasn't buried for three days when my father showed up, demanding that I move to America with him."

I felt sorry for his mother's family. Not only did they have to deal with losing his mother but they had to contend with losing the only part of her they had left. My feelings were identical for Taylor, having to go through all of that. In addition to being forced to adjust to life in another country with a man he barely knew. No wonder he resented his father.

"Did you keep in contact with your family?"

"No, it wasn't allowed," Taylor replied tersely. Why did Taylor's dad cut off all communication with his family? I didn't understand.

"Do you think you'll ever go back to Spain?"

Taylor hesitated a moment before answering. "I don't know. I… I'm not sure that I belong there anymore," he admitted quietly, and I heard the strain in his voice.

I opened my mouth to ask another question but a yawn slipped out, and Taylor interjected, "You should try to get some sleep."

"I'm fine. Besides, I don't think I'll be able to sleep anyway. I'm still worried about your head. I think you have a concussion and I'm afraid that you'll fall asleep."

"I'll be fine. My head's really better, especially now that I'm off my feet. Plus, I have to stay up and feed the fire." Taylor tried to reassure me.

"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather stay up."

"Why are you so stubborn?"

"Why are you such a tease?" I shot back.

"Touché," Taylor quipped and, I snuggled into his warmth.

For what felt like hours, we stayed up talking about Taylor's family. He talked about his various aunts, uncles and cousins. Something seemed a little off with them. I didn't quite understand why they all lived together that like they did. I knew that lots of extended family members lived in close proximity to each other. But the way Taylor explained it to me, sounded like it was a huge deal when his mother wanted to leave them to go off with his father. She had to get _permission_ to leave and they almost didn't give it to her. His family gave the impression that they were more like a clan instead of a family.

As time went on, Taylor's head began to droop and I forced him to lie on the ground with his head on my lap. I ran my fingers through his hair in a stroking motion, playing with the silky strands. Eventually, his eyes began to drift shut and he fell asleep in the middle of talking about how much he disliked living in Boston. He just couldn't stay awake anymore, but I could.

I remembered hearing somewhere that it was dangerous for a person with a concussion to sleep more than two hours at a time. It was with that thought in mind, that I made a mental note to wake him up every half hour or so. Neither of us had a watch, so I had to estimate.

Even though I was exhausted, I committed myself to staying awake. Someone had to feed the fire and make sure that wolf didn't follow us to have a rematch. I passed the time thinking about my friends, family and… Jacob. For a brief moment, I wondered if he was happy then I concluded that he probably was. Imprinting was the be all, end all of brainwashed happiness. Maybe someday, years down the road we could be friends again.

_When he's done being angry with me, that is._

Memories of my kiss with Taylor flashed across my mind and I couldn't help but smile. How could I not? It was one hell of a kiss. As I traced the contours of his face with my fingertips, something curled in the pit of my stomach. Hell, I was looking forward to more kisses. If the kisses alone were so good, I speculated what the rest would be like. _To hell with this dying crap. I wanna live._

Briefly, fear sprang up in my mind and I fought it back. For once I was going to go with the flow. Taylor was right. I did have a nasty habit of talking myself out of things but not this time. I would relax and see where things went. Taylor and I didn't need labels to define what we were to each other.

For the next few hours, I sat in weary, nerve-racking silence alternating my time between my thoughts and waking Taylor up. At some point during the night, the snow storm ended, much to my relief. It would make for easier traveling when morning came. We finally ran out of wood and the fire died, cloaking us in the darkness of the cave. But by this time, the pale morning light was already illuminating the cave entrance.

_We should get moving soon_, I thought with a grimace.

My body felt drained and worn down. Not to mention that the pain in my arm and hand was beginning to flare up again. I could only hope that my bites weren't infected. Just as I was about to wake Taylor, I began to hear voices. At first, I thought I was imagining it until I faintly heard our names.

People were calling our names.

"Taylor, wake up." I shook his shoulders and he opened his eyes, appearing dazed and confused.

"They're voices outside calling our names. I think people are looking for us. Go look."

I didn't think I had the energy to walk. Taylor groaned as he sat up slowly, holding his head. He was successful in easing himself into standing position, before he set off haltingly in the direction of the cave entrance. After a few tries, I was able to wrestle my body upward. Leaning heavily on the stone wall, my knees wobbled unsteadily. I was so tired.

Upon arriving at the entrance, Taylor shouted, "We're over here!" His face was relieved as he turned his head to look at me. "They found us… Izzy… Isabella?" His relief turned to worry and I wondered why.

He continued to say other things but I wasn't able to catch the rest. The exhaustion I'd battled for so long came crashing down on me and I found my body hurtling toward to cave floor.

I hit the ground hard and before the darkness swallowed me up my last thoughts were, _finally, I can rest now._

When I woke up again, I was back in the cave. At least I think I was back in the cave. I wasn't sure because it was so dark that I couldn't see my hands in front of my face.

_What happened? I thought we'd been rescued._

_Where's Taylor?_

The darkness was thick and oppressive. I felt like I was being choked by the blackness. My breathing grew shallow and raspy. I was beginning to have a panic attack. There was no sound other that my wheezing. This was one of my worst nightmares, to be alone in the dark.

Blindly, I reached my hand out but all I clutched was air. I lowered my hands to the floor blindly groping around. All I touched were some pebbles until my hand closed around what felt like matches. With shaking hands, I struck a match and discovered that I was right. I was still in the cave.

"T-Taylor?" My voice shook as I called his name weakly.

My body froze when the sound of vicious growling reverberated around the cave.

_Something's in here with me._

Trying to make myself as small as possible, I pressed my body into the wall behind me, whimpering with fear. The sound of my breathing was strained as I struggled to push air in and out of my lungs. The terrifying, snarling face of a wolf entered the glow of the match, just before it lunged at me.

I screamed before trying to raise my hands in front of me in an attempt to ward off the wolf. But there were hands holding me down, forcing me to struggle against them. I couldn't breathe, there was something covering my nose and mouth. There were voices shouting my name, telling me to calm down. But I couldn't see. The figures around me were shadowy and blurred. I felt the pinch of a needle in my arm before it all went dark again.

_No, don't put me back in the dark with the wolf…_

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, I know, I know. I'm 2 weeks late again. Blame it on the writer's block. My beta is really busy these days so this chapter is un-beta'd. Please forgive any grammatical errors you may come across. I dislike posting un-beta'd work but you guys waited long enough and I did promise you'd get it today. So here it is.

Also, if I miss another chapter update, I'll be sure to post updates in my forum. So you guys will always be informed about when the next chapter is coming. Feel free to leave me a message, even if it's a "Bitch, hurry your ass up."

**Back to the story: **How do you like Bella and Taylor's first kiss?

Taylor opens up about his family.

Pay attention to the information given as they link to upcoming chapters.

**Coming up next: **We learn who's responsible for Bella and Taylor's rescue.

Bella and Taylor get caught expressing their _joy_.

Bella speaks with the Edward and the Cullens.

Working extra hard but I think you'll have the next chapter next week. **Review!**


	44. Ouch Edward! You scratched me!

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 44

When my consciousness began to drift in, I forced my eyelids to part only to wince at the harsh glow of the artificial lights above me.

_Where am I?_

The IV pole attached to my arm tipped me off that I was in the hospital. My throat felt dry and parched as I swallowed. I tried to shift my body only to bump into a solid object. My eyes scanned my body until they landed on Taylor. He was currently hunched over, asleep with his head on my bed. From where I sat, I was able to discern that the wound on his head had been bandaged.

As I scanned the room, I located the dozing figures of Liz and Ryan. Somehow he'd managed to cram his large frame into a small hospital chair while Liz was curled in his lap with her head on his shoulder. The scene brought a smile to my face and I had to blink back the tears. I'd never been more grateful to be alive than I was at that moment.

Looking down at my leg, I found that my injured foot had been encased in an ankle brace. I struggled to push myself into sitting position and the bed shook slightly. The movement woke Taylor and his head snapped up as he leaned off the bed. He blinked a few times to clear his vision before his eyes focused on me.

For a brief period, we just sat in silence, staring at each other until the whirlwind known as Liz collided with me. The air was knocked out of my lungs as she wrapped her arms around me and squeezed.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Izzy," Liz laughed and sobbed all in one breath. I rubbed her back in a calming motion.

"Hey ease up, Liz. What are you trying to do, finish off what that wolf started?" This came from Ryan. Having carefully extracted himself from the hospital chair, he crossed the room to stand next to my bed.

Liz pulled away to look at me. "How are you feeling, Izzy?"

"Drowsy and thirsty." I winced from the hoarseness of my voice, and Taylor poured me a glass of water. Smiling my thanks, I then proceeded to gulp down half the glass in one go.

"Sleepy? How are you still sleepy? You slept the entire day," Ryan inquired, and I looked at the window and into the darkness behind him. It was nighttime.

"She's probably still feeling the effects of that sedative the doctors gave her," Liz reminded him.

"What sedative?" I passed the glass back to Taylor.

"When we were in the ambulance, you woke up and started freaking out. The paramedics were worried you would go into cardiac arrest because your heart was beating so fast. They had to give you something to calm you down," Liz informed me. My mind briefly flashed back to the wolf nightmare and I suppressed a shudder.

Before I had the chance to say anything else, Ryan asked, "How's your arm?"

I shifted my gaze downward to my now bandaged arm and hand. There was still some pain but it was manageable. Despite the fact that it hurt like hell, I was overjoyed to discover that I could still wiggle my fingers slightly.

"It still hurts but not like it did before, though."

"Man, those were some _sick_ looking bites you got from that wolf. I took pictures, do you wanna see?" Ryan removed his phone from his pocket before holding it out to me.

But before I was able to turn him down, Liz scolded, "I'm sure she got a real good look at them when the wolf was chewing on her ass, Ryan."

A contrite looking Ryan mumbled, "Sorry."

I rolled my eyes at his silliness. One of the things I loved most about Ryan was his ability to make light and bring amusement to any situation.

As Taylor moved to sit on my bed, I scooted over to move room for him. Ryan observed us with a small smile on his face

"How did you find us?" I queried.

"Alice Cullen, that's how. I can't believe you didn't tell us about her, Izzy. We're your friends, we would have understood." Liz's expression was full of reproach as she glared at me. Meanwhile, I was having a panic attack on the inside.

_Did they know about the Cullens and the existence of vampires?_

_Did Alice tell them everything?_

While I was busy fretting, Liz was still waiting for an answer. "Um… I don't know… I didn't think you would understand and well…" My voice trailed off. I didn't know what to say.

"We believe in the supernatural too, Izzy. It is _so_ not a big deal that Alice is psychic." Liz informed me and my jaw almost unhinged itself.

Forcing my lips to function, I asked, "Psychic?"

"Yeah, let me tell you how we found out. After Ryan and I woke up, we went downstairs looking for you guys. At first we thought that you might have gone for a walk or something until I heard your cell phone ring."

Ryan dragged the hospital chair over to the bed then Liz perched herself on his lap before continuing. "When I answer it, Alice is on the other end frantically screaming that she's been trying to call us for hours and that you and Taylor fell off a cliff."

Liz paused, and I prodded impatiently, "So what did you say?"

"I calmly asked her what she was on and if she could mail me some of it."

I burst out laughing and Liz's lips twitched in amusement.

"She sounded like a nut, the way she was carrying on. When I asked her how she knew that you guys were in trouble, she told me that she was psychic. I told her that I was the Queen of England."

A giggle escaped my lips as I thought, _poor Alice_. She was trying to save our lives but Liz wasn't taking her seriously.

Taylor made an impatient circular motion with his finger, signaling Liz to get on with it.

"All right, all right. Anyway, she ended up proving it." Liz continued, looking slightly embarrassed.

"How did she prove it?" This I had to hear.

Liz hesitated before going on. "She um… told us what we were doing before her call." When I stared at Liz blankly, she added cheekily, "In detail." I looked at Ryan to find a faint blush on his cheeks.

_Oh._

Alice must have gotten quite a show. Hell, I felt embarrassed _for_ them.

Ryan picked up where Liz left off. "Well, anyway, we immediately went down to resort office and reported you missing. They tried to organize a search party but by then, the snow storm hit and we had to wait it out. Liz was freaking out until Alice called her, saying that you guys had found shelter in a cave."

_Oh my God_. If Alice was checking in on us while we were in the cave then she saw us kiss. That also meant that Edward saw us together. This was one of the reasons why I didn't want her spying on me. I knew something like this would hurt Edward. But if she'd kept her promise, Taylor and I might have still been out there, lost in the snow.

"Alice is probably watching this conversation as we speak. I'm sure she's waiting for the right time to call. I know the Cullens want to talk to you. They were all so worried"

"Did you guys tell my parents?" I cringed, just thinking about how much Renee would panic over something like this.

"Um… actually, no. I didn't want to say anything until… we knew for sure and then after we found you, I decided to let you tell them yourself. If they hear it from you, they're less likely to freak out," Liz reasoned, and I agreed with her.

Ryan piped up, "We told Zach, though. He said to tell you that he's glad you guys weren't eaten alive."

I shook my head at Zach's sensitivity. Leah really had her work cut out for her if she intended to take him on.

"Is he at Leah's house?"

"No, Zach's still at his sister's place. He plans to head over to Leah's in a few days. He wanted to spend Christmas with Leah, but his sister threatened to turn him into a woman if he didn't spend the holidays with her." Liz rolled her eyes in amusement over Zach's situation. It sounded like his sister was a real handful.

"So… Alice was sort of short on details. Could you tell us what happened to you guys while you were out there?" Liz questioned gently. Clearly, she was giving me room to say no, just in case it was too traumatic for me to talk about.

As I began to recount the story of how we fell off the cliff, Taylor removed himself from the bed and went to stand in front of the window. I told them everything that occurred before we were found, except for the cave kissing of course.

"Damn, Izzy, now you're kicking wolf ass too," Ryan cajoled, and I smiled wanly. Taylor still had yet to say anything and my insides were beginning to churn with worry.

Maybe he regretted kissing me.

Maybe I enjoyed the kiss more than he did.

Maybe he just got caught up in the heat of the moment and now he was trying to figure out a way to tell me.

I couldn't begin to describe how those thoughts made me feel. The constricting feeling in my chest was making it difficult to breathe easily. Eventually, I fell silent, fiddling with my bandages. Noticing the expression on my face, Ryan opened his mouth to ask what was wrong when Liz cut in. "I think we should go let the doctor know that you're awake."

Before dragging Ryan out the door, Liz threw a concerned glance between me and her brother. She subsequently closed the door, leaving us alone in awkward silence. At the sound of the closing door, Taylor turned from the window to peer at me, and I instantly averted my eyes to stare down at dull pattern on the blue hospital blanket.

His footsteps were made even louder by the stillness of the room. Tightening my grip on the blanket, I tried to brace myself for I knew what was coming. There was still time to end our little _whatever_ without anyone getting hurt. It wasn't like we were a couple or anything. Maybe I wouldn't feel so bad if I were the one to end it first.

I opened my mouth to beat him to the punch but all that came out was, "Um…" _Jeez, real freaking eloquent_.

The bed sank slightly under his weight as he sat down, facing me. I kept my eyes firmly fixed on my injured arm, anxiously picking at the bandages. My body was rigid and tense, waiting for the axe to drop. I was bewildered when Taylor gently placed fingers under my chin, tilting it upward until his face came into my line of sight.

"What-" The word barely escaped my mouth before he leaned in, pressing me back against the bed as he took possession of my lips. His warm hands encircled my torso, fingers slipping through the back of my hospital gown to mould the exposed flesh found there. In the back of my mind, I remembered that I was completely naked, except for the gown. Moaning into his mouth, I arched my back in a desperate attempt to close the distance between our bodies. But this move was hampered by my injured hand which was still cradled in my lap.

His mouth was warm as he kissed a burning trail from my mouth across my jaw line. I slipped my hand around his waist just as his lips located a sweet spot on my neck. Involuntarily, my nails dug down; raking across his back and I felt Taylor shiver in response. _So, he liked being scratched_. I tucked that vital piece of information away for another time.

My mind was a muddled, hazy mess of thoughts as I murmured, "I … thought… that…" My original intent was to tell him that I'd assumed he'd changed his mind about us. But I was finding coherent thought increasingly difficult to come by with each passing second.

"That what?" Taylor managed, in between sucking and nibbling on my neck._ Oh God._

I whimpered in delight as the thin fabric of my gown scraped across my painfully taunt nipples. My body arched again, desperate for friction, _any friction_.

"That… um…" The thought was lost and I couldn't remember what I was about to say. _Oh God, who cares_…

It was like my body no longer belonged to me. I couldn't control myself, didn't want to. All I wanted to do was kick off my blankets then climb onto his lap, bad foot and chewed arm be damned.

Taylor's hand reached up behind my neck, and I felt a small tug on the tied string of my gown. He, ever so gently, slid the material over my left shoulder, kissing the exposed skin found there. Deep in the recesses of my mind, I knew that one of us should stop this. We were in a hospital for Christ's sake!

We were so wrapped up in each other that we failed to hear when the door opened. In fact, we weren't even aware that we had company until someone cleared their throat, clearly trying to bring us back to reality.

Automatically, my body stiffened and Taylor immediately pulled back, yanking my gown back in place. I closed my eyes, trying to think of something to say, some way to explain to our friends what they just walked in on. But my mind was fresh out of words.

Deciding to face the music, I opened my eyes slowly and turned to face our friends, only to discover the slightly embarrassed and amused faces of a doctor and a nurse.

I did an uncanny imitation of a fish gasping for air with my mouth opening and closing a few times. I tried to say something, anything but my tongue was being held hostage by my uncooperative mouth.

The doctor decided to save me the trouble. "Don't be embarrassed. You two survived a life threatening experience together. It's only natural that you would express your… joy," he muttered in a tone that was tinged mirth while the nurse placed her hand over her growing smile. _Discreet professionals, my ass!_

I wanted to crawl away and die somewhere.

_Making out in a hospital bed. What the hell is wrong with me? Oh God, I've turned into a sexual deviant_.

My cheeks burned crimson as I tried to force my body to calm down. I took a moment to peer at Taylor to see if he was just as embarrassed as I was, only to be disappointed. Not only was he attempting to hold in his own laughs, but he appeared completely unaffected by our make out session. While I probably looked like I had been properly ravaged. God knows I felt like it.

Abruptly, I felt the urge to smack him in the back of the head, Liz style. After all, it was his fault that we were in this situation. It was his fault that I forgot where I was. It didn't matter that I was a willing participant. _Totally irrelevant._

"Taylor, shouldn't you be in your room right now?" The doctor asked, not noticing or choosing to deliberately ignore my whiny little pout.

My head snapped up at that. "What? You're a patient here too?" He sure as hell didn't look like one in his jeans and T-shirt.

Taylor made a face but before he could answer, the doctor cut in, "A twenty-four hour observation is standard procedure for all concussion injuries."

_Wait a minute! How come he gets to wear real clothes while I get stripped bare? So unfair._

Taylor must have read the emotion on my face because he threw an annoyingly sexy smirk in my direction before proceeding out the door.

After Dr. Conner introduced himself, he looked over my charts while the nurse injected a syringe into my tubing. I think it was something for the pain because after a few minutes, the throbbing ache in my arm faded and I was left with a welcomed numbness. I had been given a vaccination shot then placed on a course of antibiotics because I was still at risk of infection.

When I was first brought into the hospital, Dr. Conner was worried about any possible nerve damage I might have sustained to my arm. But a MRI scan revealed that I'd only suffered a significant amount of soft tissue damage. It had taken a total of seventy-six stitches to close up the lacerations on my hand and arm. I would definitely have scars but the wounds were expected to heal nicely. On the other hand, my ankle would take three weeks to fully heal, one of which would require the use of a brace. For additional support, I would have to use a cane whenever I wanted to move around.

Dr. Conner also notified me that animal control authorities were out searching for the wolf. It would be detained then observed for any signs of rabies. But whether the wolf had rabies or not, it would still be euthanized in the end. Once an animal had reached to point of attacking people, it couldn't be allowed to live. He then went on to inform me that Taylor and I were extremely lucky to, not only have survived a hundred and ten foot fall, but to have also survived a wolf attack. Hospital staff was already calling us the Christmas Miracle Couple. _Lame, I know_.

Liz and Ryan entered the room immediately following the exit of the doctor and nurse. As Ryan plopped himself down in the chair, Liz grabbed a spot on my bed, handing me my cell phone.

When I looked at her inquiringly, she explained with a wry little smile, "Alice."

As soon as I held the phone to my ear, Alice's worried voice chimed, "Bella. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Alice, thanks to you." I leaned back against the bed and Liz mimicked my movement, laying her head on my shoulder. It was almost as if Liz was trying to reassure herself that I was here. I knew the accident had left her shaken. She'd almost lost her brother and best friend in one swoop. It would take her a while to get over it.

"I'm so sorry we weren't there to help you, Bella. We tried but it was impossible to get a flight out of Paris. We were this close to buying a jet. Edward was out of his mind with worry. Especially when he saw what happened with you and that wolf. You almost died, Bella… I'm so sorry," Alice was practically babbling at this point.

"It's okay, Alice. I'm fine now." I tried to convince her. "You have nothing to be sorry about. You saved our lives, Alice."

"I know that but… Bella, it's just… I still have those images in my mind. I saw what would have happened if you'd given up. It's horrible." Alice's voice cracked as a choked sob escaped her mouth. I knew what she meant. If I had given up, the wolf would have killed us. The images of our mangled, dead bodies were still in her mind.

_God, that is so creepy._

I couldn't help the shiver that went up my spine. Liz lifted her head slightly to peer at me in silent inquiry and I smiled at her, shaking my head. I didn't know what to say to Alice. _What do you say to someone who saw you dead?_

Alice continued, "Edward almost lost his mind when he saw that vision." I could only imagine his reaction to seeing a vision of me dead. Even though what happened wasn't really my fault, I still felt guilty for making him worry so much.

"Where is he, Alice? Is he there now?"

"No, after you were brought to the hospital, we were finally able to convince him to go hunting. He's out now with Jasper and Emmett. They should be back any minute now." Alice paused briefly before continuing, "I guess Liz told you about my confession, huh?"

"Yeah. I was shocked. At first I thought that..." _You told Liz that you were a vampire_, my mind filled in the rest, completely mindful of the fact that Liz and Ryan were still in the room.

Alice was able to figure out that I had company. "I didn't know what else to do, Bella. Liz flat out refused to believe me, so I had no choice. You were in danger and I had to find some way to make her believe me."

"Even though you weren't supposed to, thanks for looking, Alice." Which reminded me, why was she checking on me to begin with? How often did she do that?

Just as I opened my mouth to ask, Alice cut me off once again, "I know what you're about to ask, Bella, and the answer is no. I don't do it all the time. It's just that when you told me about your romantic trip up to the cabin, I just wanted to see if you would finally go for it with Taylor." Alice confessed with a small trace of guilt in her voice. "Are you mad?" She asked in a tiny voice.

After a moment of silence, I replied, "I know I should be… but I'm not. Thanks for looking, Alice. But I-"

"I know, I know. I promise I won't make a habit out of it. I think I'm already scarred for life having seen Liz and Ryan. I mean, my God, Bella. The things they do to each other-"

_Ew!_

I quickly interjected, "Please, Alice. I do not want to know." Whatever freaky sex games Liz and Ryan played, I didn't need to hear about it.

"Okay. Carlisle, Esme and Rosalie are here. I'll just put you on speaker so-" Alice abruptly stopped talking and I heard the sound of scuffling before Alice complained, "Ouch, Edward! You _scratched_ me!"

I assumed the subsequent growl came from Jasper.

"Bella, are you all right?" Edward's slightly panicked voice came through the phone.

"I'm okay, Edward. I'm safe now." I sought to assuage his fears.

"I was so worried about you, Bella. When I saw the vision of you…" Edward's voice trailed off, unable to complete his sentence.

Edward was definitely having a hard time. It must have been horrible to see someone you loved being gruesomely eaten alive. "It's in the past now, Edward. I'm alive and I have every intention of staying that way." I spoke in a tone that one would use to reassure a child that there were no monsters in their closet.

There was a few second of silence before Edward spoke with sadness in his voice. "I saw what happened in the cave, Bella."

The vain hope that he would remain silent about my kiss with Taylor was dashed. "I'm sorry you had to see that." And I truly was. The last thing I wanted to do was cause Edward any more pain.

"He's decided," Edward spoke sadly.

"What do you mean?"

"Taylor's decided what you mean to him. Before he wasn't so sure but now… I saw him in Alice's mind. The way he sees you has changed. His sister's the same way. Once they've made up their mind, it can never be changed."

_What the hell does that mean?_

I was about to ask this when Emmett's voice boomed over the phone in annoyance. "Jeez, Edward. You're always hogging Bella. There are other people that would like to talk to her, you know?"

"Oh, sorry," Edward murmured before placing me on speaker phone where I spent the next few minutes talking with the family. Eventually my drowsiness began to settle in again, forcing me to cut our conversation short.

I went back to sleep after Liz and Ryan left to bring back some of my things from the cabin. Hours later, I awoke to an arm wrapping around my middle. Without opening my eyes, I teased softly, "Couldn't stay away, huh?"

"No, I couldn't." Taylor curled his large body around mine and I snuggled into his embrace then drifted back to sleep.

* * *

The following day, Taylor and I were discharged from the hospital. The owners of the resort were very understanding when we decided to end our stay with them. They'd even gone as far as to refund our money with no fuss. I think they were mostly relieved that we weren't going to sue them.

I opted to downplay my accident when I spoke with Charlie and Renee, telling them that Taylor and I fell down a hill instead of a cliff. I'd left out the wolf part entirely, thinking that the _almost being eaten alive_ thing would have been too much for them. When Angela heard about Taylor's roll in my accident, she kindly informed me that if I didn't marry Taylor then she would. When I'd told Leah, she said, _only Bella Swan would go to a romantic retreat and manage to get her ass half-eaten by a wild animal_. In the end, Leah grumbled that she was glad I didn't up and die on her. I think that was her way of telling me she cared. It took all of my will power not to tell her about Zach and his impending visit. I wish I could have been a fly on her wall when he showed up…

I didn't know how Alice managed to pull it off but the day after we'd left the hospital, my shiny new walking cane was delivered to the apartment. The shaft was made from hardwood with a black high gloss finish. The handle was carved into the shape of a rose. I liked it as the cane wasn't too flashy and helped me maintain some mobility. Ryan took to calling it my pimp cane and would often steal it to practice his pimp walk. Meanwhile, Liz would use my cane to threaten Ryan with sexual assault whenever he made her mad.

There were no more opportunities for kissing, thanks to an overly clingy Liz. She would constantly follow me around, offering to do things for me. I was rarely afforded any time alone, much less with Taylor. Liz even began sleeping in my room. The bathroom ended up becoming my sole sanctuary and I had to fight tooth and nail for that _privilege_. I knew she still felt guilty that she was having sex while Taylor and I were fighting for our lives. Eventually, I knew she would relax and things would get back to normal.

Taylor and I didn't act any differently around each other. At least I don't think we did. Maybe it was because we were already so close before we started our undefined relationship. The decision to keep our relationship private was a subconscious one. We knew that involving our friends would only make things complicated.

After spending a quite Christmas, we packed our bags before boarding a flight to Boston. The visit would prove to be an eye-opener, giving me insight into the lives of my friends, mostly Taylor's. After all… people tended to say the most interesting things when they thought that no one was listening.

* * *

**A/N: **Okay I know, I delivered this chapter among many threats from the angry mob because of my tardiness. But in my defense, for some reason my chapters seem to be getting longer with this one crossing five thousand words. Oh, well.

**Back to the story: **Bella and Taylor... the heat is turning up for this couple.

What do you think Edward's message means?

Alice spills the beans about her abilities and end up scarred by Ryan and Liz... Poor thing.

My beta thinks Ryan is just plain silly. What do you think?

**Coming up next: **Bella meets Taylor and Liz's dad and he eyes her strangely.

More tales of Ryan's ridiculousness.

Bella overhears (snoops) a conversation that turns her world upside down, making her wonder just how deep the rabbit hole goes.

I'm quite exited for the next chapter.

**A/N: **I'm thinking of writing a chapter in Leah's POV about Zach visit. Speak now and let me know if you want me to write it.

You know the drill. I'll try to give you the next chapter early, we'll see. **Review!**


	45. He Bit Me First!

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 45

Upon our arrival at the Boston airport, I had my cane x-rayed, my ankle brace searched for any concealed weapons and my pain medication felt up (courtesy airport security). We were in the middle of retrieving our bags at the carousel when we were approached by a middle-aged, pudgy, grey haired man, wearing a black suit and tie.

The man smiled as us, stepping forward to greet Taylor and Liz, "Well, would you look at the two of you? You're all grown up."

Liz beamed, leaning in to wrap the man in a hug. "I'm so happy to see you, Jeffery."

She stepped away and Taylor approached the man with a smile. "It's nice to see you again, Jeffery."

Jeffery eyed Taylor's outstretched hand with a raised eyebrow. "What? You're too old for hugs now? Come here." Jeffery pushed Taylor's hand out of the way, pulling him into a manly embrace.

"Jeffery's been their father's chauffeur for fifteen years," Ryan explained to me in a hushed tone. Having had no prior experience with how chauffeurs were supposed to act, I was a bit surprised. The only thing I had to go by was what I saw on TV. And the TV drivers hardly ever spoke to their passengers. The easy familiarity with which Jeffery had greeted Liz and Taylor, I'd assumed he was an uncle or something.

Jeffery pulled away from Taylor, surveying Ryan's large frame with mock horror on his face. "I can't believe it. You've gotten even bigger since the last time I saw you."

"Don't forget, Jeffery. I'm still a growing boy," Ryan laughed heartily before wrapping him in a bear hug. Jeffery let out a groan when Ryan put the squeeze on him before letting him go.

Jeffery's brown eyes landed on me and he raised an inquiring eyebrow. "And who's this pretty little thing?"

A slight blush stained my cheeks and I murmured, "I'm Izzy. Nice to meet you." I held out my hand and was pleasantly surprised when Jeffery yanked me in for a hug. Evidently, Jeffery was a hugger.

With our bags in tow, Jeffery ushered us out of the airport where a black limousine was parked. Taylor frowned slightly in annoyance. "Did he have to send the limo?"

"You know your father." Jeffery laughed merrily.

Safely tucked away in the limo, Jeffery proceeded to drive us away from the airport. After a few moments of silence, Ryan opened the mini-fridge and offered us a soda. He removed one for himself after everyone declined.

Taylor turned to me, concern flashing across his face. "How's your ankle? Do you need another pill?"

"No. Not for the next hour or so," I smiled softly.

"Taylor, be nice to dad, all right?" Liz implored and as Taylor rolled his eyes, she went on to add, "He was really concerned about you when he heard about the accident."

"I'll bet." Taylor's sarcastic expression withered under Liz's glare. He exhaled wearily, "Look, I'll try but I think he'll spend the entire visit ignoring me like he usually does." A series of emotions flickered across his face. The look of resignation lingered before he forced blankness onto his visage.

Liz heaved a helpless sigh before turning to look at me with a silent plea in her eyes. I bit back a sigh of my own. I knew what she wanted from me. Earlier on the plane, Liz assigned me the task of softening Taylor up during our visit. For some reason, she was convinced that he would listen to me. I wasn't sure I held that kind of sway over him.

A string of large and lavish properties came into view as I gazed out of the window, and I was able to denote that we were getting closer to the house.

The partition slid down then Jeffery asked over his shoulder, "Hey, Ryan. We're almost at your house. Do you want me to drop you off there, or what?"

Ryan exchanged a look with Liz before he wrinkled his nose. "That's all right, Jeffery. I'll see my parents later." He was obviously not looking forward to seeing his parents, mainly his mother. I couldn't say that I blamed him. I wasn't exactly chomping at the bit to meet anyone who could hate Liz.

On the other hand, I was both anxious and curious to meet Walter Reed. The man who mourned his lost love for twenty years. You had to admire that kind of devotion.

The limo pulled into a long driveway and came to a stop in front of a white Federal style mansion with four large columns adorning the front of the building. Liz and Ryan were the first to exit the limo while Taylor stayed behind to assist me. Having extracted ourselves from the vehicle, Jeffery drove the car back to the garage which was situated toward the back of the building.

Taylor gripped my arm, helping me climb up the stairs to the front entrance. Ryan opened the heavy front door and stepped over the threshold with the rest of us trailing behind him. I gazed around the foyer in awe of the ridiculously high ceiling and crystal chandelier that hung from it.

We were in the process of shrugging off our jackets when we were joined by Robert, the butler. He silently collected our jackets, choosing to respond with a slight nod when he was greeted. Robert was impassive almost to the point of coldness. He was a vast difference from the warmth I'd experienced earlier from Jeffery.

The sound of approaching footsteps and the soft clicking of heels, echoed against the marble floor. Taylor brushed his hand against my own before wrapping it in a tight hold. Inquiringly, I stared up at his face, but Taylor remained silent, shooting a small smile at me. I looked away just in time to see a slim-built man and a curvy, voluptuous woman of part Aboriginal descent entering the foyer.

Immediately, I recognized the man to be Walter Reed, Taylor's father. I'd be able to distinguish those green eyes anywhere. Although, Taylor and his father were identical in height and built, those were where the similarities ended. Taylor had inherited his skin and hair color from his mother, while Liz got her brown hair from their father. Even though Walter appeared to be in his mid-forties, he was still quite handsome.

As Walter and the lady came to stand before us, his eyes landed on Liz and he smiled wanly, "Elizabeth, you're the spitting image of your mother." From the look on his face, I could tell that he was uncertain as to whether this was a good or bad thing.

"Hi, Daddy," Liz smiled demurely and then leaned in to embrace him, planting a kiss on his cheek.

Liz pushed herself away, and Walter turned to greet Ryan with a slightly teasing tone of voice. "Why am I not surprised to see you here instead of at your home?"

Ryan grinned sheepishly as he raised an arm, scratching the back of his head. "Well… you know. I do plan on going home… eventually, Mr. Reed. It's just that-"

Walter raised a hand, putting a halt to Ryan's diatribe. "You can forget it, Ryan. Your mother already called, requesting that you come home immediately."

Ryan's face fell and his tone turned whiny. "Aw, come on, Mr. Reed. Where Liz goes, I go. You know that."

Walter rolled his eyes in amusement at Ryan's expression. "Of course I know that. After twenty-one years, two guard dogs, an electric fence and two armed guards, I've come to realize that _nothing_ can keep you out of my house and away from my daughter. And I refuse get into it with you again about why you bit that guard when you were twelve-"

"He bit me first!" Ryan interjected with a protest.

Walter continued on unfazed. "You know how your mother gets." At Ryan's crestfallen look, Walter added, "Be grateful that your parents already made other dinner plans for tonight, so you don't have to stay long. Just drop in, say hello to your parents, and then you can come right back. Okay?"

"Okay." Ryan conceded unwillingly. He pressed a light kiss to Liz's forehead before heading out the front door. Liz stared after him with pity in her eyes, and I speculated on the reason. Surely, Ryan's mother wasn't that bad. Right?

With Ryan taken care of, Walter directed his attention toward Taylor. As he surveyed his son, an array of emotion flickered across his face. I experienced a pang of sympathy when I discovered that sadness was among them. But as quickly as the look appeared, it disappeared and impassivity took its place.

Walter's voice was stiff and formal as he addressed his son. "Taylor."

I could practically feel the cold chill emanating off of Taylor's body as he curtly replied, "Father."

The woman standing next to Walter sighed quietly before giving him a not so discreet nudge with her elbow. I assumed that the nudge meant, _Say something else to him._

Walter appeared slightly uncomfortable as he cleared his throat before adding, "I heard about the accident… I'm glad you're okay."

Those words were enough to leave Taylor looking like his father just proclaimed that he loved to dress up in drag on the weekends. Why was he so surprised that his dad gave a rat's ass whether he lived or died? Taylor acted like this was the first time his father showed genuine concern for him.

_Jeez! This is so sad_, I thought in dismay. My own relationship with Charlie was far from perfect but at least I knew he cared about me.

Realizing that Taylor had still failed to offer any kind of response, I gave my own non discreet tug on his hand. This jolted him out of his daze and he murmured, "Thanks."

At Taylor's reply, the woman gave me a smile so full of warmth and comradeship that I couldn't help but smile back. Clearly she was happy to have an ally in the battle to bring these two men together.

I shifted my gaze to Walter, to find him observing me intently. Of course, I was unable to stop the small blush from creeping up my neck. Finding amusement in what I thought to be one of my handicaps, Walter smiled, "And who might this blushing young lady be?"

"This is Isabella Swan, Dad," Liz piped up with a weird look on her face.

"Izzy," Taylor and I corrected at the same time and we had to share a small smile.

No doubt he was thinking the same thing that I was, that him calling me Isabella was our thing and no one else's. I had to resist the urge to say _jinx_ and punch him in the arm. I made a mental note to do that later, when we weren't under the observant eyes of his father. For some reason I felt like I was being _presented_ to their father and I wanted to make a good impression.

I smiled and mumbled a quiet hello and watched as Walter's gaze flicked down to take in Taylor's and my still intertwined hands. The oddest expression flashed across his face, and he turned to view Liz in silent inquiry. Liz, ever so slightly, nodded her head, answering yes to whatever his question was.

_What was that about?_

Walter's smile was a welcoming one as he spoke, "It's so nice to meet you, Izzy." He turned to the woman at his side with obvious adoration in his eyes. "I'd like you all to meet Susan Gilbert."

A soft, feminine voice greeted us as we each took turns shaking her hand. "Hello there." I noted her slight Australian accent.

Liz suddenly had an epiphany and queried, "Wait a minute. Did you say Susan Gilbert as in Susan Gilbert, the artist?" She grew more excited with each passing word.

Susan seemed pleasantly surprised as she smiled. "Yes, I take it you've heard of me?"

Liz let out a tiny, excited squeal as she fought to remain cool and calm in front of her idol. "Heard of you? You're like royalty in the art world."

Walter breathed a quiet sigh of relief at the stars in Liz's eyes. It was important to him that his children approved of Susan. However, it seemed like Taylor would be harder to win over as he measured Susan with caution in his eyes. And I wondered where he'd learned to be so cautious of meeting new people.

"Well, dinner will be ready shortly. You can head to your rooms and get changed now. We dress for dinner in this house." Walter spoke, inspecting our casual ensemble with disapproval on his face. Susan was once again forced to intervene with a nudge, and Walter relented, "I mean what you have on is fine."

That was a good thing because Taylor looked like he was ready to argue our right to wear whatever we wanted.

When we got to the bottom of the stairs, I had to pause. _What the fig!_ Why did all rich people see the need to have long, winding staircases in their homes? It was on this thought that Taylor abruptly scooped me up in his arms. I let out a mouse-like squeak, clutching onto his shoulders to steady myself. The hand holding my cane shot out and I narrowly missed hitting Walter with it in the head.

I blushed again in embarrassment before offering Walter an apology. Taylor smirked when I glared at him in annoyance before he carried me up the stairs. Over Taylor's shoulders, I watched a star struck Liz trail after Susan as she disappeared into the lounge. Already I could see the signs of future stalker in the making and hoped that Susan would humor her.

Taylor carried me down an imposing hallway before depositing me on my feet in front of what I assumed was my room. Just out of curiosity, I asked, "Where's your room?"

Taylor gestured wordlessly to the door directly across from my own and my lips parted slightly in surprise. Endless scenarios of late night rendezvous ran through my mind and I looked away nervously.

Taylor interrupted my musings. "By the way, I almost forgot." He reached out, punching me lightly in the shoulder. "Jinx."

I couldn't help but be amazed that we both shared the same idea. "I cannot believe you. I had that exact thought downstairs."

A playful smile lit up Taylor's face. "I decided to wait till we were alone."

"How very abusive husband of you for not wanting to hit me in front of company," I teased. "It's so nice of you to beat up on a cripple."

"Cripple? You still have one good leg. You're fine." Taylor smirked wickedly.

"Jerk! I should've just let that wolf eat your ass." I took a step toward him.

"Maybe I should have let you paint the side of the cliff red." Taylor quipped back, closing the distance between us. We were standing quite close to each other with silly grins on our faces.

He wrapped his arms around me, using them to pull me flush against him. I pressed my good hand against his chest and felt his heart throbbing away beneath it. My heart fluttered wildly in anticipation of yet another world tilting kiss. He leaned in close, his warm breath flowing across my face, alerting me to his close proximity. My eyes drifted closed, my lips burned, yearning for the feel of his on my own. Taylor let out a soft groan as his lips hovered above my own, teasing, promising the liquid heat of the flame that threatened to consume us.

Just as he was about to possess my lips someone interrupted us, clearing their throat. Face engulfed in crimson, I jumped away from Taylor to face an openly amused Jeffery.

"I just came to drop off your bags, Izzy. Should I put these in Taylor's room?" Jeffery queried as he lifted my suitcases. His question only served to deepen my redness.

_Does Jeffery think that Taylor and I are sharing a room, that we're… lovers?_

"No, Jeffery. You can put it in this room here." Taylor chuckled and gestured to my door, saving me from dying from embarrassment.

Jeffery opened my door, placing my luggage on the floor and then left without saying another word. _Thank God!_

After Jeffery disappeared around the corner, Taylor we once again left alone. The corners of his mouth lifted in a small smile as he raised a hand, gently brushing the faint blush on my cheek. His heated gaze was enough to make my heart race.

A nervous not formed in my stomach and I mumbled stupidly, "I'll go freshen up before dinner." Taylor nodded his response.

Making an embarrassingly ungraceful exit, I hobbled into my room and closed the door behind me, leaning against it with a small sigh. Taylor and I would have to be careful if we wanted to keep our relationship private. No more making out in hallways.

In awe, I scanned the room in which I would be spending the next few days. It was impossible to remain unaffected by the elegant furniture showcased in the large guest bedroom. When I regarded the pale peach colored walls, antique vases filled with fresh flowers, the plush carpeting, the regal bed and matching armoires and the thick, rich draperies, the word opulence came to mind. The room was quite lavish in appearance, and I made a mental note to be extra careful not to break anything.

My visual examination was abruptly cut short when Liz pushed the door (on which I was leaning) open, sending me and my cane hurtling toward the floor. I landed painfully on my injured arm which had been healing quite nicely up until that point. _Ah crap!_

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry. Are you okay, Izzy?" Liz was the picture of panic as she rushed forward to help me.

After she helped me roll over and sit up, I groaned, "I'm all right." I would definitely need to take two pills instead of just the one tonight. I told Liz this and she went to my luggage to retrieve my pills, but not before helping me to the bed. At least the fall didn't affect my ankle.

The soft bed sank under my weight and I released a weary sigh. Subsequently disappearing into the adjoining bathroom, Liz reemerged with a glass of water which I used to wash down the pills.

Liz smiled in apology. "I'm sorry about that. I came to tell you that dinner would be ready in thirty minutes. I can help you unpack and change if you want?" She offered, trying to make amends.

Liz helped me put my things away then lent a hand as I changed into a casual blouse and a knee-length flirty skirt. Mindful of my ankle brace, I slipped on a pair of comfortable flip-flops. I pulled my hair away from my face and into a low, loose hanging ponytail. Without her help it would have taken forever, instead of ten minutes, to look presentable. I also took the time to change the bandage on my arm.

When we were finished, Liz left my room to go change while I stayed behind to try to call Leah. I knew Zach was due to arrive yesterday and I was curious to find out how things were going. Or more importantly, if I should look into hiring a few gun toting bodyguards to protect me from her long promised ass kicking. I dialed Leah's number only to be met with the sound of ringing followed by her grouchy ass voicemail greeting of, _I'm busy. Leave a message. _

I sighed into the phone then left a message. "Leah, I know you're probably mad and not answering but call me when you get this. Okay? Bye."

I hung up wondering if I'd done the right thing by springing Zach on her like I did. In my mind I began to picture two graves in the La Push woods. One of the graves was large enough for an adult while the other was significantly smaller. Maybe in a fit of anger, Leah did away with Zach and Suzie Q then buried their bodies to hide the evidence. Maybe she was in jail right now because of what was buried in the forest.

Giving my head a brisk shake, I quickly dismissed those silly thoughts. Leah wouldn't murder… Susie Q.

With a touch of impatience, I sighed. Liz was taking her fine time changing, so I grabbed my cane, deciding to go see what was keeping her. I wasn't opposed to barging into her room, seeing that she did had no qualms whatsoever about doing it to me. Turnabout was fair play.

It was with some reluctance that I retrieved my cane and made my way to my bedroom door. My ankle was getting stronger; and soon I wouldn't need the cane at all. I looked forward to it as it was kind of hard to look attractive, hobbling like an old lady. I stepped into the hallway, gently shutting the door behind me.

Before I was able to remove my hand from the doorknob, I heard the sound of muffled voices coming from Taylor's room. At first, I was unable to identify the voices, they were too subdued. But as I approached the Taylor door, I determined that the murmurs belonged to Taylor's father.

It really was not my intention to snoop but my curiosity got the better of me, and I found myself hovering close to the door.

"So is she the one, your intended?" Walter's question was met with silence. "Does she know about your ability?"

The silence that followed made me wonder if Walter was in Taylor's room talking to himself.

"The least you can do is answer my questions, seeing as you never visit or return any of my phone calls," Walter scolded.

"After ignoring me for the better part of my life, why do you care?" Taylor asked bitterly.

Ignoring Taylor's barb, Walter prodded, "Would you at least tell me if you told her about your family?"

"No, I haven't told her any of those things yet." Taylor confessed reluctantly.

"Why not?"

"She spooks easily," Taylor confided.

_Hey!_ He was talking about me like I was a skittish horse or something.

Surprisingly it was Walter who came to my defense. "Maybe you should give her more credit. From what Liz told me, when you two were lost, she kept a level head, didn't panic and got you two out of there alive. For such a tiny little thing, she's strong. I think she can handle it."

"I know. Look… I don't want to discuss my private life with you."

Walter ignored Taylor's reluctance and pressed forward. "You don't have to admit it if you don't want to. I know she's your intended." There was a pause. "Don't look so surprised. You look at her the same way your mother used to look at me."

_What's an intended? A fancy word for girlfriend?_

Things got really quiet after that until Walter spoke up. "Have you found Mariana and the others yet?" _Mariana?_ I tried to remember where I'd heard that name before. Then I remembered that Mariana was Taylor's great-grandmother. Was Taylor trying to find his estranged family?

"Of course not. After you showed up and threatened to expose them, they packed up the family and moved. The investigator is having a really hard time finding any trace of them. Unfortunately, Mariana's skill at hiding has not diminished with time." Taylor replied with heavy annoyance in his voice.

"I had to do something to get you away from them. You think they would have let me leave with both you _and_ your sister if I hadn't threatened to expose them to the world? Going to Spain and into their territory without some sort of plan would've been pure suicide. I had to make it clear to Mariana that I had friends in high places. Friends that would be very interested in their family and if anything happened to me, my friends would be notified about their… talents."

Walter's admission left me stunned. He blackmailed Taylor's family into giving him up by threatening to use their secret against them. How could he do something like that?

"I will never forgive you for threatening them like that. To use the secrets my mother trusted you with, in order to force them into giving up one of their own, was unforgivable," Taylor snapped.

Walter's words were clipped and without remorse. "I don't recall asking for your forgiveness. I did what I had to do to get you away from them. Mariana would've never allowed me to leave Spain alive if I didn't do what I did."

"Mariana never would have ordered your death if you hadn't provoked her," Taylor shot back.

"Mariana didn't need a reason to want me dead. She hated me from the first moment Catalina introduced me to them. She was so angry at your mother for pairing with an outsider, a _foreigner_."

"You insulted her. Mariana was our leader. You should've shown the proper respect."

"Just because she is over 1000 years old, it doesn't give her the right control people's lives, Taylor."

Suddenly, I felt faint with shock and had to lean heavily on my cane for support. Taylor's great-grandmother was over a thousand years old. _What the hell?_

"Without her knowledge and leadership, my family would have been wiped out of existence centuries ago," Taylor argued.

"Her _leadership_ turned the males in your family into trained killers. And she only wanted to keep your mother around because she was a healer. She didn't care that your mother wanted a better life for her children," Walter countered passionately.

"Mariana taught our men how to protect our people. That was all she did. Besides it's not like we were still at war. By the time you came to Spain, we'd been at peace with our enemies for decades."

"You were only a child, Taylor. There are things about Mariana you don't know. When Mariana looks at you, she doesn't see family, she only sees soldiers. Soldiers to help fight in her war against those creatures she hates so much. You should be grateful that I saved you from that life."

_Creatures?_

"Grateful? I never wanted to come here. You blackmailed my family then held me prisoner in this house. You didn't even try to find them when I first began to manifest. You knew I needed their help but you were so determined to keep me from them."

"I was trying to protect you!"

"You were trying to protect yourself!" The rage in Taylor's voice shocked me as I'd never heard him shout like that before.

They continued to argue but I staggered away from the door, completely overwhelmed and unable to listen anymore. My mind was blanketed in a fog of bewilderment as I lumbered toward the staircase. I couldn't risk Liz or someone else happening upon me, listening to their conversation.

_What the hell is going on?_

_What is an intended?_

_What the hell am I getting myself into?

* * *

_**A/N: **This chapter was supposed to be longer but I was having trouble with the second half and decided not to make you guys wait and extra week for it. Yet another over 5000 word chapter for you guys.

**Back to the story:** Why on earth would a grown man bite a twelve year old boy?

Are Zach and Suzie buried in the La Push forest?

Taylor's dad blackmailed his family.

I'm quite sure that this was a WTF chapter for a lot of you.

**Coming up next: **Taylor gets hands on at the dinner table.

Walter makes assumptions about Bella and Taylor's relationship. Assumptions that have to do with her eggs.

Walter and Taylor argue at dinner in front of everyone.

Bella has a dilemma and Taylor helps her out with his teeth.

**A/N: **You know the drill. I'm working extra hard to give you the next chapter early, we'll see. **Review!**


	46. A Hole in the Butt Cheek

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 46

Moments later, I stood at the top of the stairs with a million thoughts and questions whirling around in my mind. What the hell? I expelled a breath, my mind recalling the argument that I'd just been eavesdropping on. Mariana, Taylor's great grandmother was over a thousand years old. How was that possible? Was she a vampire or immortal or… _something_? Was everyone in his family immortal? With a shake of my head, I dismissed that theory when I recollected Taylor telling me about how his mother died of cancer. Taylor had better not be immortal. Why, the very thought was enough to make me grit my teeth in annoyance. If I had to put up with another boyfriend –_I mean_- unlabeled whatever, staying young and sexy while I aged like a banana, I really would run off screaming into the night.

Taylor thought I was skittish. Okay, so maybe I had a _few_ commitments issues and wanted to keep our relationship a secret until I was ready to go public, but I wasn't skittish. A little messed up and damaged maybe, but not skittish. Taylor was worried that I wouldn't be able to handle his secret. He thought that I was an ordinary girl and would freak out and run away if he told me the truth about himself.

I felt a grim smile cross my face. If he only knew the truth about what my life in Forks was like… No, I wasn't ordinary and never would be again.

Then there was the cryptic mention of his family's enemies, creatures. What kind of creatures were they talking about? I knew about the existence of vampires and werewolves, but did that mean there were other things out there that went bump in the night? The thought sent shivers up my spine. Jeez, I really knew how to pick them, didn't I? I was beginning to wonder if I was a supernatural magnet. Was that the problem with Dillon and me? Was I so messed up that normal, human guys didn't do it for me anymore?

Beneath the spine tingling shivers, I was intrigued at the mystery Taylor presented. My curiosity hadn't been this piqued since the early days of Edward and Jacob, when I was consumed with trying to figure out their secrets. I didn't even know how to begin the daunting task of solving the enigma that was Taylor Reed. And that was the root of my problem. How was I supposed to go about the process of finding out answers to secrets I wasn't even supposed to know in the first place?

As much as I wanted to find out the truth about Taylor's ability, I knew that it wouldn't be fair of me to push him. Especially since, I had a few world alternating secrets of my own. I couldn't help but ponder how much longer I would have to wait until Taylor felt comfortable enough to let me in on his secret. Waiting patiently would mean no more listening in on other people's conversations. I was ashamed of the way I'd already invaded his privacy. _What was I thinking spying on him like that?_

I jerked in surprise, almost jumping out of my skin when Taylor suddenly spoke up from behind me. "Do you need some help getting down the stairs?"

With one hand over my heart racing, I whirled around to face him. I was not amused. He always had the irritating habit of sneaking up on me. "Jeez, Taylor. Could you _not_ sneak up on me like that?"

"I'm sorry. The next time I walk by, I'll make sure to stomp around like I'm Godzilla attacking Tokyo," Taylor teased sarcastically with an easygoing smile tugging at his mouth, and I rolled my eyes.

"Would you like some help?" He offered me his hand and I noted that he'd changed into a dark blue polo shirt and a black pair of slacks. I sighed inwardly at how good he always managed to look, even in the simplest of clothes.

"If you wouldn't mind, thanks." I took the offered hand, allowing him to guide me down the stairs and into the dining room. His countenance gave no hint to the quarrel he'd just had with his father. If he was still fuming inside, he gave no outward indication.

Walter and Susan were just sitting down, at opposite ends of the table, when Taylor and I entered the room. The dining table seated eight, but there were only six places laid out. I sat down in the chair Taylor pulled out before claiming the chair next to me. Liz emerged wearing a black, casual dress that came down to her knees. She looked beautiful but her visage was a mixture of worry and anger. It was troubling. Ryan trailed behind her, looking like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. The meeting with his parents must not have gone so well.

After they took their seats across from Taylor and me, a stone-faced Robert served our appetizers that we ate wordlessly. Our dinner went on in uncomfortable silence, except for the clinking of silverware on expensive china. This silence was broken momentarily when Walter notified Liz about a package that had arrived for her the day before. She then turned to smile at me with a mixture of smugness and sneakiness. Her gaze left me feeling unsettled. That smile always meant trouble, for me anyway. _What's in the package?_

When dessert was served, Susan took the initiative and decided to break the quiet by talking about her latest showing and her work at the studio. It didn't take long for Liz to become completely enthralled and start questions of her own. Walter's face was pure happiness as he observed how well his daughter and girlfriend were getting along. It was easy to see how much he loved Susan. Walter Reed was definitely drawn to women of color. I wasn't only referring to the physical. He was attracted to women that had the power to light up his dark, dreary world. Susan was charismatic and wielded the ability to draw people in, but she was also kind.

Ryan watched Liz and Susan's interaction with a small smile plastered to his face. He seemed to be glad that Liz's mood had improved from earlier.

"So, Susan. How did you and my father meet?" Liz asked with a hint of sneakiness in her big, wide smile. _Susan better watch out_. Liz, the interrogator was in the house tonight.

We listened as Susan talked about how she met Walter at one of her previous art shows six months ago. In the beginning, she was unimpressed by him, thinking that he was just another boring stiff in an expensive suit. We had a good laugh when she talked about how she spent the remainder of the evening hiding from Walter in the ladies room. But Walter refused to give up, sending flowers to her studio every day until she finally agreed to go out with him. Their relationship seemed to flourish from there.

I was having trouble paying attention. It wasn't that Susan's story was uninteresting, no far from it. When I'd sat down at the table, my skirt rode up a bit, exposing my thighs. And Taylor, being the damn tease that he was, decided that now was the best time to capitalize on this.

As Susan was telling her story, Taylor slipped his left hand under the table and began caressing my bare thigh. I shot a covert peek at Taylor but his face revealed nothing. He gave the impression that he'd focused all his attention on Susan, like everyone else. _That sneaky bastard!_

Every now and again he would give my thigh a slight squeeze, stroking it slightly with his thumb. _Oh hell, what is he doing? _I clamped my mouth together, trying to stave off the moan that threatened to spill from my lips. This was the sweetest form of torture. The creamy taste of Crème Brûlée dessert disappeared from my tongue, Susan's voice and everyone else in the room faded away. All of my senses were concentrated on the tingling feel of his hand on my thigh.

Desire rushed through my veins like a wild fire, searing every inch of my body. Imperceptibly, my toes curled, enjoying the feel of his rough hands on sensitive skin that had remained untouched for far too long. He began rubbing his hand in a small circular motion, inching it up my thigh at a snail-like pace. My entire body was tense and on the verge combusting right there in the dining room. The hand on my thigh continued to edge its way up my bare leg, lingering for a moment before continuing. Just as his fingers began an erotic dance across my leg, Susan directed a question toward Taylor, jolting me out of my heated trance.

"So, Taylor. You father tells me you're majoring in music. Is that right?" Susan asked, genuinely interesting in what Taylor had to say.

A quick, flustered scan confirmed that no one was paying attention to my scarlet cheeks and shaking hands. With just one hand, Taylor had managed to breakthrough all my restraints, driving me to the brink of wanton behavior. I wanted to smack him across the knuckles with my spoon.

Liz zeroed in on my flustered appearance and frowned from across the table, silently asking, What? I shook my head in reply and looked away nervously.

"Yes, it is." Taylor's hand paused in its movement, and I took the opportunity to wet my parched throat, bringing my glass of wine to my lips and taking a large gulp. I knew I wasn't supposed to mix alcohol with my medication but it couldn't be helped. I had two thirsts demanding to be quenched and only one of them could have been dealt with right now. Taylor gave my thigh another firm squeeze, and I grumbled inward, Damn that man and his roaming hand.

Walter leaned against the table with a weary sigh. "I was hoping you would've grown out of this silly music thing by now. It's sad to see you're still so determined to ruin your life."

That was the exact moment when our wonderful dinner went to hell. The atmosphere immediately turned cold after Walter's comments. Across the table, Ryan shook his head and Liz gasped softly. Taylor's body stiffened instantaneously and he removed his hand, letting it fall away from my thigh. I was torn between feeling relieved and wanting to throw my cane at Walter.

A twitching muscle in Taylor's jaw was the only visible sign of his resentment. In a lowered voice filled with anger, he replied coldly, "Well, you are right about one thing, Father. It is my life, not yours."

"Why couldn't you choose another major?" Walter's voice was as disapproving as his countenance.

"Why? So I can end up like you? I think I'll pass." Taylor spat, anger drawing harsh lines on his face.

"And what's wrong with having a steady job that puts food on the table? You might not see it now, but you will when you have a family of your own someday soon." As he said the last part, Walter shot a meaningful glance at me and I almost swallowed my tongue.

Someone coughed, I heard Ryan sputter and I was pretty sure I died of embarrassment.

What the hell! Taylor and I weren't even… and Walter was already talking about the grandchildren that I would provide him with. The man just met me and already he was making plans for my ovaries. I shifted uneasily in my chair, completely mortified. I didn't dare look at Taylor's face to see the look planted there.

"Daddy!" Liz admonished as she regarded Walter, scolding him with her eyes.

"No, Elizabeth, your brother needs to hear this." He turned in Taylor's direction and spoke. "I don't know what's wrong with you kids today. You see fame and stardom on TV and that's what you want. But if you think I'm going to let you become some drugged up, dope fiend, you've got another thing coming, boy." He jabbed a stern finger at Taylor.

If Walter thought that Taylor was the kind of man to let himself get mixed up in drugs, then he really didn't know his son at all.

"And what you would you know about providing for a family, huh?" Taylor challenged in an eerily calm voice that unnerved me. His stare was icy as he twisted in his chair, leveling Walter with his gaze. "Your money raised us, not you. So don't act as if you know what a good provider looks like."

The momentary hurt that flashed across Walter's face proved that he had been deeply wounded by Taylor's words. Walter placed an elbow on the table and pinched his nose bridge. "My son, the musician. Where did I go wrong?" He laughed; it was a humorless, hallow sound.

At this point, Susan tried to intervene on Taylor's behalf. "Walter, there's nothing wrong with being a musician."

"Stay out of this, Susan. This doesn't concern you." Walter's tone left no room for argument or rebuttal. "This is about my son wanting to throw his life away in the _entertainment industry_." He wrinkled his nose, saying the last part as if it was something disgusting.

Susan was full of indignant anger as she glared daggers at Walter. Liz and I exchanged worried looks accompanied by raised eyebrows. Uh-oh. We recognized a pissed off woman when we saw one. Too bad Walter was too busy being a snob to notice. She angrily tossed her napkin on the table. "Nothing to do with me? You're talking about music as if it's somehow beneath you."

Finally I was able to understand why Susan was so angry. By coming down on Taylor about his love of music, Walter had indirectly insulted Susan's profession. After all, musicians, artists, sculptors were all involved in similar fields of creativity. You couldn't disapprove of one then turn around and approve of the others.

Poor Walter, realizing that he'd poked a hornet's nest tried to placate Susan. "Now, now, Susan. I wasn't referring to all artists. I…" His voice trailed off and he turned to Liz for assistance with a lost at sea look in his eyes.

It wasn't Liz that spoke up though; it was Taylor. "Congratulations, Father. You've once again managed to ruin a perfectly good dinner." Taylor sneered before pushing himself away from the table and storming out of the dining room. And that was the conclusion of our father-son bonding experience.

With the evening officially wrecked, everyone just sat there picking at their desserts in sullen silence. I was the first to leave the table, bidding everyone a good night. The tension was really getting to me, plus I wanted to check on Taylor. Dinner had been going so well; it was a shame that things had to end on such a sour note. It was all thanks to Walter and his controlling ways.

It wasn't until I reached the bottom of the long ass staircase that I realized that I should've waited for someone to help me up the stairs. Slowly, I began to trudge my way up the stairs one step at a time. I was on my fifth stair when I heard raised voices headed in my direction.

"I didn't mean what I said, Susan," Walter said, trailing behind Susan as she shrugged on her coat.

"I saw a different side of you tonight, Walter. A side I don't think I like very much." She left through the front door, slamming it hard behind her.

Walter's shoulders slumped marginally under an invisible burden as he stared at the door. I felt like he caught spying when he turned around and saw me standing there.

"Oh, I didn't see you there, Izzy. I thought… you'd be in your room by now. Do you need some help getting up the stairs?" Walter inquired, surprising the hell out of me.

"Um, yes, thank you." I replied unsurely, wondering where the jerk from earlier had gone.

Walter took my hold of my elbow, providing careful support as we began our ascent to the top. Once there, he released my hand and I thanked him. With an awkward nod, he started back down the stairs and something told me that Walter was heading to his study to seek solace in his work. Hobbling my way to Taylor's door, I couldn't help but think on the situation with his father.

Taylor was a contradiction. I knew he secretly longed for his father's approval, yet he would rebel against his father's attempts to control him. Walter was… a snob. I could see that there was kindness in him and that he regretted not being closer to Taylor, but his highbrow attitude was constantly getting in the way. After years of status quo, neither man knew how to break their vicious cycle of heated arguments.

My hand hung in midair as I debated whether or not I should knock first. On one hand, I didn't want to give him the chance to tell me go away. But on the other hand, I didn't just want to barge in. He could be naked… _Okay, entering without knocking it is_.

I turned the doorknob and let myself inside. His room was shrouded in darkness except for the moonlight streaming through his window. I scan the room for Taylor's presence and found him sitting on the edge of his bed. He was bent over with his elbows resting on his thighs. I stepped over the threshold and quietly closed the door behind me.

I hesitated a moment before crossing the room to sit beside him on the bed. Taylor kept his eyes on the floor as he reached out to take my hand in his. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

_Yeah, me too_, I thought silently.

"I knew this would happen. That's why I didn't want to come here."

I asked the question that was burning a hole in my mind. "Why didn't you tell him that you want to be a teacher?"

Taylor turned to peer at me in the darkness of his room. "Do you really think it would have made any difference at all?"

"I don't know. Maybe," I murmured unsurely. I hadn't been around his father long enough to speak with absolute conviction.

"My father doesn't see me, Isabella. He never has. When he looks at me, all he sees is the son he doesn't have instead of the one he does."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I chose to remain silent. Silence descended for a few minutes, and I began to feel a little drowsy from side effects of combining alcohol with pain medication. My eyelids felt heavy as I blinked, trying to stay awake. I wanted to be there for him, really I did. But a few more minutes and I would start nodding off on him.

Taylor's hand fell away from mine as I rose with the intention of leaving. "I'm sorry, Taylor, but I'm really tired. I think I'll head to my room now."

I heard the naked vulnerability in Taylor's voice as he said, "Stay." And I knew that he didn't want to be alone tonight.

"Okay. I'll just go change in my room, then I'll come back." It wouldn't be the first time we spent the night together. No big deal.

"Wait." Taylor stopped me when I made as if to leave. He padded across the room to open his bureau drawer. A t-shirt was in his hand as he advanced on me. "Here, you can sleep in this."

Blushing in self-consciousness, I took the offered t-shirt from his outstretched but had made no move to put it on. It wasn't that I was too shy to undress in front of him. My hand was still throbbing as a result of my fall earlier and I needed Liz's help to get dressed and… undressed. But seeing as Taylor was reluctant to let me leave, even for a moment, I would have to ask him to do it– _I mean_ undress me.

Taylor stood silently, looking at me expectantly. When he noticed I wasn't moving, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing… It's just that my hand still hurts, so…" I closed my eyes and rushed the words out of my mouth. "You'll have to undress me."

After a moment of humiliated silence, I cracked one eye open to peek at him. The heat of his gaze left me at a momentary lost of breath.

Taylor's voice sounded deep and gravely as he murmured, "Okay."

He stepped closer with his eyes locked on my face, then brought his hands up only to leave them lingering in the air. Only when he sensed I was ready did he begin to unbutton my blouse, agonizingly slow. The room was dead silent except for the soft pops my blouse made with every freed button. When he was finished with that he raised his hands to my shoulders, pushing the blouse down my arms and away from my body. Taylor stood still taking in every inch of skin that remained uncovered by my plain white bra. I struggled not to fidget under his stare.

Time seemed to stand still as he caressed my skin lightly, pausing to trace my rapidly beating pulse with his fingertips. As his hands moved away from my collarbone and across my shoulders, my flesh prickled with goose pimples under his hands. Taylor walked around to my side then lowered himself to his knees. I gasped softly in surprise when I felt his warm breath on the side of my waist where my zip was located. He placed one hand on my stomach and the other on my lower back, holding me in place as he did one of the most erotic things I'd ever seen.

Taylor leaned forward and grabbed a hold of my zipper with his teeth. My zip made no sound as he worked the slider down the plastic teeth, freeing me from my skirt. It pooled around my ankle and I stepped out of it. Taylor stood before walking around me, feeling me up with his eyes. Silently, I thanked my lucky stars that I hadn't worn my comfortable underwear with the hole in the butt cheek.

Having completed his inspection, Taylor removed the t-shirt from my grasp, wordlessly motioning for me to lift my hands. I did so and he slid it over my hands, allowing the garment to drape my body. As he did this, his hands brushed against my nipple, causing me to shiver. He took my hand, leading me over to sit on his bed where he then proceeded to remove my ankle brace. Of course, he couldn't resist tickling the back of my knee, and I smacked his arm in retaliation.

With a touch of beguilement, I grumbled, "You are such a tease." Taylor smiled rakishly in response but then his smile slipped, revealing just how tired he was.

Looks like teasing will be the most we do tonight, I mused silently. Trying to communicate my understanding, I reached out with a feather touch and lightly touched his cheek.

Without looking, I reached behind me and caught the edge of the blanket. I drew it back before slipping beneath them, indulging in the warmth that surrounded me. As I tried to make myself more comfortable, Taylor began to remove his clothes.

While trying not to hyperventilate, I watched him remove his shirt, revealing an alluring expanse of well-muscled flesh.

As he unbuckled his belt and began to unzip his pants, the risk of asphyxiation became a high probability.

When he motioned to take off his boxers too, I declared time of death. The coroner showed up to take my body away, pitifully shaking his head at the pathetic way in which I'd met my demise.

Taylor smirked at my bug-eyed expression and removed his hand from the waistband of his boxers. Once again, the big jerk was trying to rattle me. The mattress shifted beneath my body as he slipped onto the bed to lie down beside me. In an attempt to save face, I rolled away from him, giving him my back. But Taylor only chuckled in response. _Oh, I will have my revenge, Spanish man. You just wait and see._

My breath hitched in my throat when Taylor's hand encircled my waist, resting on the bare skin of my stomach that had been exposed when my t-shirt rode up. My resolve to stay mad at him almost crumbled when he began to trace small circles with his fingertips. I clamped my thighs together tightly, trying to stave off the growing ache that had reawakened between them.

Warm breath tickled my ear before Taylor teased, "Goodnight."

"Oh, shut up," I grumbled and was rewarded with yet another rumbling laugh. His hand moved across my stomach, skimming over my hips and down the length of my thigh. When he began to knead my thigh, I held back a moan that was building in the back of my throat. Suddenly, to my absolute relief and annoyance, Taylor's hand stopped moving.

"Goodnight," Taylor repeated in a strained voice before giving my leg one final squeeze and returning to its former place against my stomach.

"Goodnight," I squeaked, my calm resolve completely shattered, and I wondered if I would be able to get any sleep with Taylor pressed up against me. Eventually, my body began to relax and my eyes drifted shut. All in all, I slept pretty well… except for the strange floating sensations I experienced throughout the night.

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**A/N: **Hey guys, I'm back after health issues and hospital visits... Anywho, still alive and kicking.

**Back to the story: **How did you like Taylor and his dinner table teasing?

What was the strange package delivered to the house? Liz has something up her sleeve.

Walter's a bit of a jerk putting Bella on the spot like that.

Taylor and the teeth thing... Damn!

**Coming up next: **Revenge of the roaming hand part II.

Someone spies Bella sneaking back to her room.

Ryan outs himself and Liz in the process.

Walter and Bella go head to head.

Bella walks in on Taylor while he's...

And Bella dangles her meat in front of the tiger's cage.

**A/N: **I have an announcement to make at the end of the Boston chapters. And no, it's not one saying that I'm quitting this story, so you can relax.

Working on the next chapter. **Review!**


	47. I almost lost my panties

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

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Chapter 47

My body began to stir as the last remnants of sleep rolled away. The feel of soft, expensive sheets against my skin made me reluctant to open my eyes and thus, wake up fully. I forced my body to relax, attempting to will myself back to sleep. After a few minutes of futile endeavors, I gave up and tried to roll over. But the heaviness of the arm draped around my waist prevented me from doing so.

Both eyes shot open with instant awareness. _Oh crap! I'm in Taylor Reed's bed_. His face was once again buried in my hair, but that wasn't the surprising part. At some point during the night, Taylor's hand had worked its way up t-shirt _again_ and was currently holding my breast hostage. The steady, warm breath on my neck and his light snores told me that Taylor was still asleep.

Conflicted, I gnawed on my bottom lip. A part of me wanted to stay put and enjoy Taylor's sleep groping. However, the other part of me, more specifically, the part that needed to pee, objected to my just laying still. I observed the faint traces of daylight outside Taylor's window, and I knew I would have to leave now if I didn't want Liz and Ryan to catch us in bed together.

The thought of waking him up did cross my mind, but was dismissed after I remembered how much he'd tossed and turned the night before. So I was left with trying to wriggle my way out of his grasp. My endeavors to escape were thwarted when Taylor's finger landed on my very sensitive, recently hardened nipple. Pleasurable tingles erupted, and I found myself wriggling, not to escape but to get his hand to move again.

I forced myself to stop when it dawned on me that I was acting like a pervert. Taylor was innocently sleeping, and here I was, practically humping his leg. In the end, I resigned myself to waiting until he moved away. After what felt like an eternity of waiting, Taylor finally removed his hand, rolling away from me and unto his back. I breathed a sigh of relief before pulling back the blankets and getting of the bed.

Tentatively, I placed weight on my ankle and was pleased to discover that it only pained slightly as opposed to the stabbing pains of the yesterday. My gaze landed on Taylor as he slept, and I couldn't help but admire him. Even in sleep Taylor was a sight to behold. I watched as the muscles in his chest rose then fell with each breath that he took. His sexy bed hair curled around his forehead, falling into his closed eyes. My eyes traveled lower only to widen as they landed on, what looked like, morning wood straining against the blanket that covered him from the waist down. _Well, hello to you too!_

Briefly, I contemplated lifting up the blanket and having myself a peek then scolded myself for being degenerate. Besides, with my luck, Taylor would wake up and catch me looking at his junk. He would never let me live it down. I could only imagine the torment he would throw my way.

I could just hear his smug voice in my head as he teased me. _Wow, Isabella, you're just one step away from sexual assault, aren't you?_

I backed away from the potential humiliation and forced myself into action, moving around the room to gather my things. As I did this, I wondered what had gotten into me with all these dirty thoughts I'd been having lately. Had I always been this way? With Edward, every time I tried to initiate intimacy, he made me feel like I was abnormal for wanting to have sex with him. I knew that Edward's chastity vow had a lot to do with the time period he'd been born into. _But jeez!_ Where had he been during the sixties, the time of sexual revolution? I fought back a giggle as I imagined Edward, wearing platforms and bellbottom pants. It was such a shame that he'd been unable to adapt to the ever-changing times. Who knew where we'd be today if he'd just relaxed and went with the flow.

Then there was Jacob. I'd had my fair share of dirty thoughts when it came to him. I mean, how could I not? I might have been in denial about my feelings for him, but the sexual attraction had always been there. He never made me feel dirty for wanting sex. He'd been more than willing to put out. And I was certain that if we'd been allowed more time together, he would have encouraged me to experiment sexually (with him, of course). Although to be fair to Edward, Jacob had been born into a time where it was okay to have premarital sex. As expected, I experienced the usual pain and sadness when I thought about Jacob, but I hastily tucked it away in my imaginary box that I fondly referred to as my _Jacob box_.

As I stood still, looking around for any items that I might have forgotten, I noted that Taylor's room also had a fireplace. Due to the darkness of the room, I'd failed to notice it when I came in the night before. I wondered if I would get to see it when it was lit. After casting one last glance at Taylor's still slumbering body, I softly cracked his door open. Having found the hallway empty, I entered into it and quietly closed the door behind me.

With the speed and grace of a three-legged dog, I made a quick dash for my room where I dumped my things on the floor before running for the bathroom. After using the bathroom, I showered and changed quickly, choosing to wear a skirt since it was easier to manage with my ankle brace.

I was in the process of brushing my hair when Liz came through my door. "Good morning, Izzy." She greeted me cheerfully with a big, wide smile on her face. It was a vast difference in her mood from the previous night.

Offering up a smile of my own, I turned around to face her. "You're in a good mood this morning."

"Yes, I am," Liz sighed dreamily. I bet Ryan had snuck into her room last night for a late night, spirit lifting session.

I crossed the room to grab a seat on my bed and patted the space next to me. After Liz settled in, I asked, "Hey, what was the deal with you and Ryan last night? Did you two have a fight before dinner?"

Liz's smile dimmed somewhat. "No. Ryan was just telling me how his visit with his parents went."

"I take it things didn't go so well?" I mused, recalling their despondency from the night before.

"Ryan told his dad that he's not joining his company after he graduates. They got into a huge fight, and of course, his mother blames me." Liz lamented with features pinched in torment and balled up fists.

"Why would she blame you?"

"The woman hates me, Izzy. She always has," Liz lamented with a resigned look on her face.

Liz shook off her melancholy, plastering a smile on her face that didn't reach her eyes. "Anyway, I came to tell you that breakfast is ready. We're having breakfast with my father."

Exiting my room, Liz gave me a genuine smile this time. "He's really making an effort to spend time with us." She played with the ends of her hair. It was something Liz did when she was feeling a little embarrassed. "I know things really looked bad last night, Izzy, but he's really trying. It's just that…"

"Just that what?"

"Taylor and Dad… they just seem to bring out the worst in each other."

"Yeah, I saw that. But things were going just fine until your father attacked him." It still irked me, the way their dad just jumped on his case like he did.

Liz expelled a breath, fighting the urge to defend her father yet she couldn't help herself. "Dad's just trying to stop Taylor from making, what _he_ thinks is, a big mistake. But… even though he can sometimes come across as a rich jerk, he means well, Izzy. All they've ever done is fight and now, Dad just doesn't know how to have a normal conversation with him."

We were almost at the bottom of the stairs and I remained silent, pondering Liz's words. "You have to understand, Izzy, it's not like Dad had it easy. Taylor hated him on sight. I knew Mom's family had already poisoned Taylor's mind against him." I observed that she didn't say _her_ family. From the angry tone of her voice, I gathered that Walter had done a little poisoning of his own.

When we entered the dining room, Walter and Ryan were just getting seated. Taylor wasn't anywhere in sight so I assumed it was just going to be the four of us for breakfast. From the choices already prepared, I chose two pieces of French toast and a glass of orange juice. Liz followed my lead, while Ryan scarfed down his six pancakes as if he was afraid that someone would try to steal one off his plate.

Walter, noticing his son's absence, queried, "Where's your brother, Elizabeth?"

"When I checked, he was still sleeping," Liz answered with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

"That's odd. He's usually up by now." Walter's eyebrows knitted together in a frown.

Without even thinking, I elaborated, "He tossed and turned all night." Immediately, all eyes swiveled toward me in surprise, and I wanted to shoot myself. _Way to go, bigmouth,_ I grumbled silently.

As I stared, a half chewed piece of pancake tumbled out of Ryan's mouth (which was currently hanging wide open) and onto his plate. Their analytical stares sent a wave of redness into my cheeks.

"I-It's not… we were talking then I fell asleep," I stammered. Okay, so I lied but this was better than saying, _Yeah, I slept in his room and it was completely innocent. Except for the parts where he undressed me with his teeth, and I humped his leg. Totally innocent._

"I _thought_ that was you I saw in the hall this morning when I was sneaking out of Liz's room," Ryan chimed in after recovering from his shock. Walter cleared his throat, giving Ryan a glare that could make an onion cry.

Seeing that Walter took fatherly umbrage to his confession, Ryan immediately changed his story. "I mean, when I was leaving _my_ room to go wake Liz." When Walter's glare failed to lessen, he added hastily, "I didn't have sex with her. Even though she wanted to, I said, _no way, Liz_-Ouch!" Ryan jerked in surprise, making a face at Liz.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Ryan. Did my fork accidentally _stab_ you in the leg?" Liz queried through gritted teeth accompanied by an expression of wide-eyed innocence. Ryan pouted, rubbing the injured spot on his thigh.

Walter's visage was anything but amused. Clearly, he knew Liz and Ryan were having sex but that didn't mean he wanted to hear about it. Deciding to let sleeping dogs lie, he went back to his waffles with an enthusiasm that was more for show than anything else. _The poor man_. Charlie's entire face would've been red with rage and embarrassment by now.

The corners of my mouth lifted in a secret smile. I was just grateful that Ryan distracted everyone's attention with his runaway mouth. Breakfast continued on with no further queries into my having shared a bed with Taylor. A few times, I caught Liz looking at me with a silent question in her eyes and gathered that Liz the interrogator would corner me later on.

Susan's nonappearance was noted but left unquestioned. Obviously, she was still angry with Walter for the way he acted, and if he wasn't careful, his elitist attitude would ruin their relationship. Susan didn't strike me as the type of woman who stood for highbrow crap. She appeared to be a more relaxed, down to earth sort of person. I suppose their differences were what made their relationship work. And hopefully, in time, Susan would be able to reel in Walter's pompous tendencies when they got out of control.

At the end of breakfast, Robert began to clear away the dishes and everyone rose from the table to go into the lounge. However my progress was halted when Walter spoke, "Izzy, would you join me in my study for a few moments?"

"Um… Okay." Why would Walter want to see me?

In silence, I accompanied Walter down the hallway that led to his study. He opened the door, allowing me to cross over the threshold and into his sanctuary. Floor to ceiling bookshelves lined the walls of his study. A Chesterfield styled leather chair and a large mahogany desk sat almost in the center of the room. They were strategically positioned in front of the window to collect the natural light that flowed freely into the room. The furniture added to the businesslike feel of the place. There was a large portrait of Catalina hanging above the unlit fire place, and I found myself gravitating toward it. Her wide smile and mischievously gleaming eyes was similar to Liz's.

My eyes then drifted downward to observe the framed photographs on the fireplace mantel. A soft smile touched my lips when I made out the miniature versions of my friends. In one picture, Ryan had Taylor's head trapped in a headlock with one arm and his other arm was wrapped around Liz's shoulder. In the image, they appeared to be around twelve years or so. They were all so cute. I wish I could've seen their baby pictures.

When my gaze flittered to the other pictures my smile disappeared. In every family photo, a serious faced Taylor stared back at me. His unhappiness was apparent in each photo with his father.

"Do you believe in soul mates, Izzy?" Walter's voice broke through my reverie, surprising me a little as I'd forgotten he was in the room.

For a moment, I paused to consider his question. Of course I believed in soul mates. After all, that was what that ridiculous piece of crap- sorry… I meant _wonderful_ thing called imprinting was all about. When you were lucky enough to have the freaking universe point out your soul mate, it was wonderful… _just wonderful_.

Striving to keep the anger out of my voice, I murmured a brief, "Yeah."

"There's no other feeling like it, knowing you've met the person you're supposed to spend the rest of your life with. It's the greatest feeling in the world." Walter spoke these words while gazing at the portrait of his late wife. I knew what he was talking about. That kind of love was not easily forgotten.

"Have you ever felt that way?" He turned to regard me with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Yeah, I have. Twice." My voice held a faraway quality as I recalled the past two loves of my young life.

"And it didn't work out?" Walter asked the question already knowing the answer.

The smile I offered him was a bitter one. "Forever's not for everyone."

"You're much too young to be so cynical."

I shrugged helplessly. "You say cynical, I say realistic."

"You know, I used to feel that way too." He strolled toward his desk and picked up a framed photo of himself and Susan. "When you lose your soul mate, a part of you disappears right along with them. Then you start to think that you'll never be happy again. But then someone new comes along and…" His voice trailed off.

Walter cleared his throat, appearing embarrassed that he shared so much of himself with me. He didn't need to be. It was nice to witness his softer side, his human side. Walter and I had something in common. We both understood what it was like to live with heart wrenching loss. But I hoped that was all we would have in common because I didn't want to be alone for twenty years.

Walter got to the real reason he asked to see me. "Well, I called you in here to thank you."

"Thank me for what?"

"For saving my son's life. I heard what you did, and I'm grateful to you."

My cheeks heated in embarrassment. "Mr. Reed-"

"-call me Walter. I think you've earned that right," Walter interjected gently.

Although I called him Walter in my mind, it still felt a little weird saying it out loud. "Walter, you don't have to thank me, really. Taylor and I saved each other."

"You care about my son a lot, don't you?" He pinned me with a scrutinizing stare.

"Of course I do. We're friends," I supplied firmly, in the midst of striving to keep redness out of my face. If it was Walter's intention to determine the exact nature of Taylor's and my relationship, then he was barking up the wrong tree. Whatever it was that Taylor and I were doing was no one's business but our own. I didn't need Walter making wedding plans and naming heirs just yet.

"Just friends," Walter reiterated in a tone that hinted at his disbelief.

In an attempt to turn the tables on him, I casually inquired, "So, I didn't see Susan at breakfast this morning. Is she okay?" That was code for, _Is she speaking to you?_

I'd successfully succeeded in changing the topic as Walter began to stumble around his words. "W-Well… Susan's fine. She's agreed to attend the dinner party tonight," Walter answered in an inelegantly manner that implied that he was unused to showing emotion. I took his reply to mean that he called and apologized for being a jerk.

My mind went back to Walter's fight with Taylor, and even though I ran the risk of ruining our friendly heart-to-heart, I felt the need to petition on Taylor's behalf. "Walter, I know this isn't any of my business, but… about Taylor's major-"

Knowing where I was going with this, Walter cut me off sternly, "You're right, it isn't any of your business."

I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes. _So we're back to this again, are we?_

If this were a couple of years ago, I would've backed down, allowing Walter's forbidding countenance to intimidate me. However, I refused to cower beneath his scowl. I'd seen enough to discern that Walter, being the cutthroat businessman that he was, was the kind of man that zeroed in on and exploited weakness once he discovered it. But this wasn't two years ago, and Walter Reed did not scare me. Okay… so maybe he scared me a little, but I'd be damned if I was going to let him see that. I had to make Walter understand what his stubbornness would cost him.

Squaring my shoulders, I looked him straight in the eye. "You know, your attitude right there is what's responsible for your current relationship with Taylor. You need to back off and let Taylor make his own decisions."

"He is my son. I will do anything to prevent him from throwing his life away." There it was again, that irritating _my way or the highway_ attitude.

"What is this really about? Is this about Taylor choosing the right way or your way?" His expression darkened, and I knew I'd hit a nerve.

"Look, I know you're afraid that he'll fall into the wrong crowd. But honestly, could you see Taylor letting someone influence him into doing something that he doesn't want to do? I know Taylor, and there's no doubt in my mind that your son inherited your stubbornness." I teased lightly to soften whatever sting my words might have held.

"Music is not just a phase for Taylor; it's a part of who he is. It's what he loves." At this Walter turned away from me, peering out the window at his snow-covered property. "If you keep trying to control him, he _will_ cut you out of his life." It was only a matter of time before that happened. Already Taylor was pulling away from him and soon nothing short of Walter's demise would bring him back to Boston.

A beat of silence passed before I continued. "How would you like to have Liz call you someday, saying that you have a grandchild you're never going to see?"

When I was met with the absence of speech, I took that as my cue to leave. With my hand on the doorknob, I paused to impart one last bit of information. "Oh and by the way. Your son wants to be a teacher."

I didn't stick around to decipher the look on Walter's face as I shut the door behind me. Maybe he would take my words to heart or not. It was up to Walter now.

After much puffing and cursing on my part, I finally arrived at Taylor's door. I wanted to give him a heads-up about the conversation that occurred between Walter and me. For a moment, I paused, wondering if Taylor was still asleep. If he was, then I planned to ogle his unconscious form for a bit before waking him.

It was on this thought that I let myself into his room, quietly closing the door behind me. I spun around expecting find Taylor still dead to the world, but instead my eyes landed on an empty bed.

_Where is he?_

My question was answered when Taylor's bathroom door swung open and out walked Taylor looking every bit as surprised to see me as I was him.

"Damn," I gasped in sheer awe of the scene before me.

A wet Taylor stood before me completely naked except for the towel wrapped around his waist. I was positively mesmerized by the way his olive skin contrasted against the white towel. My mouth dried and my palms began to sweat as I stood frozen, unable tear my eyes away from the hard ridges of his abdominal muscles.

Good lord, the man was tempting.

Subsequent to a few more seconds of staring, it finally dawned on me that I was openly gawking at the guy. My disconcertion was increased further when my gaze trailed up Taylor's physique to see him regarding me with humor in his eyes.

Without delay, I quickly turned away from the Chippendale scene, completely embarrassed. Taylor definitely wasn't expecting me to barge into his room and sexually assault him with my eyes. "God, I'm so sorry, Taylor. I didn't know you were changing."

"Was there something you wanted?" Taylor asked in a lowered voice that sounded like he was headed my way.

"Wanted? No, um… I didn't want anything." Even though I tried to stay calm, my voice was as wobbly as my knees.

"Are you sure?" Taylor was so close that I could feel his warmth on my back. The fresh scent of his shower gel and aftershave wafted around me, bringing his proximity into sharp focus.

Around the desert in my mouth, I inquired softly, "I-Is that your hand poking me?"

In silent response to my question, Taylor slowly placed one hand on my right shoulder. Then after a short pause he placed his other hand on my left.

My eyes widen, mouth falling open as my mind screamed, _Oh my god! _So_ not his hand._

The hands on my shoulders tightened ever so gently before spinning me around to face him. I valiantly refused to look down or at his face, keeping my eyes glued to his chest.

Anticipation hung heavily in the air as I stared at the muscled expanse of flesh before me. Taylor remained unfazed by my gawking as he stood still, letting me have my fill. In the recesses of my mind, I knew that I should leave, leave now before I did something to embarrass myself further, like faint.

The decision was made for me when my eyes followed the path of a fat drop of water, rolling down Taylor's chest. Instinctively, without thinking I leaned forward and licked it off his flesh. Taylor stiffened beneath my mouth, and I drew back quickly, thinking I'd done something wrong.

My eyes travelled up to his face. Under the burning heat of his gaze, realization hit me and I began to comprehend what I'd done. My licking Taylor's chest was the equivalent of dangling meat in front of a caged tiger without discerning that the cage door was unlocked. And now the tiger was out of its cage, demanding to taste the meat I'd teased it with.

In vain, I sought to formulate a sentence. There was some reason I came to Taylor's room, but for the life of me I couldn't remember what it was. _Damn it!_ It was something important. I nervously licked my lips and the movement drew Taylor's gaze to my mouth and kept it there. My breath caught, realizing that he was going to kiss me again.

All of my thoughts stuttered to a stop as he leaned in close. A rush of nervous excitement flooded my body, and I found myself rising to the tips of my toes to meet his lips. Ever so gently, Taylor's lips brushed against my own, sending rivers of heat rushing through my veins. He opened his mouth over my own, and then ran his tongue along my bottom lip in a teasing manner. In retaliation, I lightly dug my nails into his chest. I was in no mood to be teased.

I felt Taylor smile against my mouth before parting my lips with his, deepening the kiss. I swept my tongue inside, exploring the wet, hot cavern of his mouth.

In an attempt to bring him closer, I wrapped my arms around his neck. But Taylor's hands grasped my waist, preventing me from closing the distance between our bodies.

He was trying to stop me from rubbing up against his erection, which was currently poking me in the stomach. When my tugging failed to cease, Taylor relented, taking me by absolute surprise when I found myself pressed up against the door. The intensity of his kiss increased, further igniting my excitement.

My mind argued that it was too soon, that I should get the hell out of there while I was still capable of logical thinking. While my body countered that this had been more than two years in the making. To hell with too soon, this was long overdue. And I was so tired of always denying myself. I was immensely tired of always being the good girl who never crossed the line. The desire to break all ties with my former sexually repressed self was so strong, so tempting.

Taylor's arms tightened me before I was lifted up. Instinctively, I wound my legs around his waist and locked my ankles low on his back. I froze briefly when I realized the compromising position I'd placed myself in. With much effort, Taylor managed to break away from the kiss, leaning his forehead against my own.

Taylor's voice was rough and raspy. "Do you feel what you're doing to me?"

His hands slid from my back to my ass, cupping it firmly so that I could feel his hardened length against my aching center. My underwear and his towel were the only things separating us from direct skin on skin contact. My desire filled mind was so fogged up that words failed, and I was unable to answer him. I was completely overpowered by his brand of sexuality, raw with a hint of danger.

Taylor leaned in until his lips brushed against my own. His soft breath came in warm gusts as he groaned, "Can you feel how much I want you?" Taylor then bucked his hips against mine, and I gasped, experiencing a stab of pleasure at the added friction. At that moment, I wouldn't have been able to answer him if my life depended on it.

Once more the voice inside my head spoke up, telling me that we were moving too fast and that this was the exact opposite of taking things slow. But for the life of me, I couldn't bring myself to care… or stop. The wanton desire Taylor had ignited inside of me was overwhelming and incredibly intense.

My legs tensed almost painfully around his waist as I moved my body against his, grinding my pelvis against his own. At first, my movements were a bit timid then my confidence gradually increased, and I found myself undulating boldly against him. Taylor cupped the back of my neck before bringing his lips to mine for a deep kiss. I drug my nails across the bare skin of his back, causing Taylor to groan loudly as his thrusting became rougher and uncontrolled. It was such a turn on, seeing Taylor on the verge of losing control like this.

He kissed his way across my jaw line and down to the crook of my neck. The combination of his licking tongue and teeth scraping against my skin was driving me insane. I leaned my head against the door, giving him further access to my neck. My fingers delved into his moist hair. His teeth scraped against my neck again before he clamped down, applying more pressure.

_Is he going to bite me?_ I wondered in an impassioned daze.

Our private moment was interrupted by Ryan's loud voice, "Hey, Taylor. You in there, man?"

Taylor's body stiffened immediately beneath my hands, and he quickly withdrew, removing his mouth from my neck. He blinked a few times, almost as if he was trying to clear his head. He then focused his gaze on my face, peering at me intently, and his breathing ragged and harsh sounding. Meanwhile, I struggled to calm my own breathing while becoming more and more aware of my current position, wrapped around Taylor like a horny octopus. Not to mention the large erection between my legs, reminding me of how turned on we both still were.

My thoughts were broken off when Ryan tried to open the door, the door that we were currently leaning on. Faster than I was able to think, Taylor's hand shot out and grabbed the handle, preventing Ryan from opening the door further.

"Hey, man. What are you doing in there?" Ryan's voice sounded a little strange.

_Oh God, did he hear us?_

Taylor's eyes never wavered from mine as he answered, "I'm naked."

That sounded so erotic coming from him.

"Ugh. Say no more. I just came to tell you that your dad wants to talk to you."

"I'll be there in a few minutes."

"All right then."

Taylor had the look a tiger observing its prey, and somehow, I managed to swallow around the tightness of my throat. The way he was looking at me, like he could make a meal out of me. He leaned in close to my ear and growled, "Go, before I change my mind."

Without making eye contact, I quickly untangled myself from Taylor and fixed my clothes. I was still so far gone that I barely registered the ground under my feet and on legs made of jelly, quickly fled the scene. There wasn't anyone in the hallway; not that I stopped to check as I was too busy scampering into my room. My mind was in such turmoil, that I didn't look around to see if anyone else might have been in my room.

Closing the door quickly behind me, I pressed my forehead against the cool wood in an attempt to calm myself down. In all my years of knowing Taylor, I'd never seen him like that, so unbounded and primal. He'd always seemed so controlled and respectful, never once stepping over my carefully placed boundaries. But now all bets were off. Ever since that night in the cave, our relationship had been altered. Taylor had been different. Well… not really different. He was still the same sweet guy, but now I saw something else when I looked at him, something dangerous and wild. It was almost as if, by agreeing to our relationship _whatever_, I released the tiger from its cage.

If Ryan hadn't interrupted us when he did, we probably would've ended up having sex right up against Taylor's door. I found myself groaning with embarrassment. _What's wrong with me?_ Just one look at Taylor in a towel and I almost lost my panties.

I damn near peed myself when Liz's voice spoke up behind me.

"I know what you did, Izzy. I was listening."

_Oh crap!

* * *

_**Story recap: **Can you imagine Edward wearing bell-bottoms and platforms?

Liz shouldn't be allowed near silverware for a while. Poor Ryan.

My beta was a bit annoyed at Liz for defending Walter's actions. I guess someone's a hardcore Team Taylor, huh?

Bella's turned into a sexual deviant, wanting to molest innocent Taylor. Maybe someone should warm him.

How did you like Bella's conversation with Walter?

Bella, Taylor, a tiger and the door. (Yep I'm jealous)

BTW, in-case you hadn't noticed, I'm introducing you guys to the other side of Taylor character. Let me know your thoughts.

**A/N: **My longest chapter to date.

Hey guys in an attempt to reply to each review, I will now be delivering my teasers to my reviewers. **Review and be teased people!**

I've also decided to go ahead and write about Leah and Zach's Christmas debacle. So expect that chapter later down the line.

Already i can hear the she-wolf grumbling in my head and I can tell you, it's going to be hilarious.


	48. Please pass the salt

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 48

Silence descended between us as I scrambled for some sort of explanation. I carefully kept my expression void of any emotion and calmly asked, "What are you talking about?"

Liz placed her hands on her hips and stared me down. "Don't play dumb with me, Izzy. I know what I heard."

_Damn, she knows_. I had to find some way to smooth this out. Liz would be pissed at me for lying to her. "Look, Liz. I didn't plan it… it just sort of happened," I said, hoping against hope, to soften that glare of hers.

Noting my anxious expression, Liz rolled her eyes. "Relax, Izzy. I'm not mad at you. In fact, I wish I was there in person to see it."

_Ew!_ Okay, I knew Liz was kinky but that was just gross. She wanted to watch me make out with her brother? We couldn't have been talking about the same thing. Just to be certain that we were on the same topic, I asked, "What are you talking about?"

Liz rolled her eyes once again, letting out an exasperated sigh. "I'm talking about the conversation you had with my dad about Taylor." _Oh that._ A wave of relief washed over me until she prodded. "What are _you_ talking about? And where were you anyway?" Liz was in full interrogator mode as she pinned me with her hawk-like stare.

"I was exploring the house and- Ow, my ankle!" Thinking fast, I began to walk toward the bed, only to crumble in a false display of agony. As predicted, a concerned Liz rushed forward to offer me assistance.

Guilt gnawed at my stomach as I watched Liz fuss over me, but I need to find some way to distract her from her line of questioning. If Liz knew about Taylor and me, our label-free relationship would gain a label pretty quickly, and I wasn't ready for everything that came along with a declared relationship. I wasn't ready to answer the _where is our relationship_ _going_ question yet.

Subsequent to Liz helping me toward the bed, she sank down next to me. I decided it would be best to take charge by changing the conversation. "So you were saying something about your dad?"

"Oh, right. I heard your conversation with dad… well, part of it anyway."

"Wait a minute, were you snooping?"

"Maybe a little." Liz hung her head in mock chagrin, but I thought I spied a tiny smile on her lips.

"Liz." With an identical smile, I scolded Liz with equally false harshness in my voice.

Her head snapped up with a wide smile. "Oh, come on! I couldn't wait to find out what dad wanted to talk to you about… so I thought I'd have myself a little listen. I just listened for a few seconds anyway, so I didn't get to hear it all. Well?" She asked expectantly.

"Well what?" I stared at her blankly, unsure of what she talking about.

"What do you think of dad?"

"You're right. He's a nice man once you get passed the ingrown snobbishness."

I felt like I understood him a bit more. He did have issues with control, but what parent didn't? There was nothing Walter wouldn't do to protect his children as evidenced by his willingness to use blackmail against Taylor's family.

When Catalina left him, he withdrew from the world, choosing to bury away his pain in his work. By doing so, his children practically raised themselves. I understood the pain of loss and feeling like you had nothing left. In that respect, Walter wasn't much different from me.

"Well, I know that he likes you." At my raised eyebrows, Liz added, "He might not like what you said to him but at the very least, I think he respects you for having the guts to say it. Do you think it'll make a difference?"

I shrugged helplessly in reply. "I don't know. You tell me. You know your dad better than I do. Do you think he'll be okay with Taylor wanting to be an ordinary teacher?" Walter seemed set on his son maintaining a lavish lifestyle. Maybe he would be willing to compromise now that he knew his son wasn't about to _sell his soul_ for fame. _Note my sarcasm_.

"Maybe. We'll just have to wait and see." Liz gnawed on her bottom lip.

"We won't have to wait long. Taylor's probably talking to him right now," I revealed then mentally kicked myself for running off at the mouth _again_.

A frown creased Liz's brow as she stared at me. "How do you know Taylor's talking to dad?"

"I um… I ran into Taylor in the hall and he told me his dad asked to see him." I hoped that she wouldn't notice the blatant lie. God how I hated lying. For some reason it always made me feel dirty.

Liz's expression then turned sneaky. "So you slept in my brother's room last night, huh?"

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. "Jeez, nothing happened, Liz. Let it go."

"All right, all right." She breathed a sigh that was tinged with disappointment before cautiously asking, "So you slept all right?"

That was kind of out of the blue. "Yeah, I guess," I answered unsurely.

Liz searched my face intently. "So nothing odd happened, right?"

_Odd?_ Where the hell was she going with this? "What do you mean by odd?"

Our positions were now reversed, with me being the suspicious one and Liz being the nervous one, fidgeting under my stare.

"I didn't mean anything really. Just asking if you slept okay." Her eyes darted around nervously, looking at everything else in the room but me. I suspected she was hiding something and decided to get some confirmation.

"I slept fine except for the… never mind." I shook my head dismissively and waited to see if she would take the bait. She did.

Her eyes swung back toward my face, searching, silently asking, _what do you know? _"Except for what?"

"It's silly really but there were times when I was sleeping, I felt a sort of floating sensation. Weird dream, right?" I countered and added a phony laugh of nervousness.

"Right." Liz was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

"I mean, there's nothing that could make a person float like that. That's just crazy," I commented, looking at her out of the corner of my eye.

"Yeah crazy," Liz laughed weakly, and I knew I had my confirmation. Now I was definitely intrigued. What happened last night wasn't a dream. I really did float and I was beginning to believe that Taylor's ability might have been the cause of it. Whatever it was.

After an uncomfortable pause, Liz decided to change the topic. "We're going to a masquerade ball tomorrow night."

"What? What ball?" My head snapped up, body stiffening in alarm. This was typical Liz fashion to spring something like this on me before I had the chance to back out.

"Every year Ryan's mother throws a big New Year's Eve ball at the Crown Plaza. _It's the social event of the season_." Liz said the last part in a snooty tone of voice. I got the feeling she was imitating Ryan's mother.

Already my mind was trying to come up with a way to get out of it. I really didn't feel like going to a fancy ball. I was hoping to stay home and maybe hang out by the fireplace in Taylor's room. "But I can't go."

"Why not?" Liz raised an eyebrow in question.

"B-because I don't have anything to wear." _There, a legitimate reason_. Secretly, I was pleased with my quick thinking. Something like a masquerade ball would require days, maybe even weeks of shopping in advance for suitable gowns and masks. There was no way we'd be prepared by tomorrow night.

"Oh, don't worry. Our gowns arrived the day before yesterday. So you don't have to worry about a thing," Liz smirked evilly, clearly anticipating my excuse.

I recalled Walter talking about a package that had been dropped off at the house and bit back a groan. He was talking about the dresses. In my mind, I heard a jail door slam shut and knew I was backed into a corner. But then I remembered my arm and began grasping at straws once more. "What about my arm? I'll feel uncomfortable with my bandages showing."

Liz smiled cheekily and I knew I was beat. "Oh, that's not an issue either. Alice, being the all knowing psychic that she is, was smart enough to send matching gloves."

"Alice, sent the dresses?" Damn, a freaking trap! This had Alice's name written all over it. I should have known. "Wait a minute… you have Alice's number?" _When did this happen?_

"Of course I do, silly." At my crestfallen look, Liz pleaded, "Aw, come on, Izzy. You just have to come. Ryan and Taylor are so boring at these things, but with you there, I know I'll have fun._ Please_."

Liz wrapped an arm around my shoulder, blinking her large puppy eyes at me. I rolled my eyes, just barely concealing a smile. "Fine, I'll go." As if I had much of a choice to begin with.

"Thank you, thank you." She smiled brightly, practically burst with excitement as she bounced on the bed. Since our arrival in Boston, I noticed that Liz appeared a bit more girly than usual. But I surmised that it was because she now had another girl to do all the things she had to do alone. _Great, just frigging great._

_I'll get you for this, Alice Cullen._

In the midst of plotting, my cell phone rang and Liz leaned away as I answered it. "Hello."

A surly voice accosted me from the other end. "I should kick your ass for this."

I would be able to identify that grouchy voice anywhere. "Well, Season's Greetings to you too, Leah."

Liz burst into a fit of giggles at the mention of Leah's name and I covered my mouth, trying to contain my own.

"I cannot believe you told Zach where I live. He just showed up on my doorstep with that damn snake of his… Hoes before bros, Bella," Leah grumbled and I gave up trying to hold back my laughter.

"You are so lucky your ass is in Boston right now because I have a nice spot in the forest to bury your body." I rolled my eyes in amusement and Liz spread herself out on my bed, taking up almost all the space. _Bed hog._

Leah was threatening me and acting like I sent a masked murderer to her house, which reminded me. I felt a bit silly for asking but I did it anyway. "Leah, Zach and Susie Q are still alive, right?"

"Of course not. I would never kill Suzie Q. The snake I like, but the man whore is a whole other story."

"Where is the man whore, by the way?"

"He's um… still sleeping." She paused a second before adding, "He had a _very_ long night."

I heard the lecherous grin in her voice and wrinkled my nose. "I _so_ did not need that image in my head. So I take it things are going well?"

"I'll give you the breakdown. Seth's scarred for life, your dad invited Zach over for dinner tonight and the pack wants me to bring him to Sam and Emily's New Years Eve party tomorrow night. They _all_ want to meet him."

"Well, that doesn't sound so bad." I tried to sound hopeful but ended up failing miserably. It sounded like things were going to get messy, especially if Sam was still acting like a jealous jerk. Why did Charlie invite Zach over for dinner? Too bad I couldn't be there to watch the carnage.

"The hell it doesn't. I swear, Bella, if Zach's visit turns into a nightmare, I'm coming after you. I will find your ass… in Boston… and…" Her angry rant tapered off with her voice becoming increasingly distracted.

"Leah? Are you okay?" _What's going on?_

There was a brief pause before I heard someone groan, "Oh God." _That sounds a lot like Zach._

They couldn't be… "Leah, are you and Zach having sex?"

Leah's answering moan had me blushing and cringing all at the same time. "Oh- Ew. Goodbye." I quickly hung up, tossing the phone away from me in disgust.

Liz rolled around on the bed, cackling like a mad lady. "Sounds like Zach was putting a little something extra in Leah's stocking, huh?"

I wanted to talk more about the ball. "So, when will I get to see my dress?"

"Alice said you have to wait until tomorrow night." At my pout, Liz smiled, "Don't worry, she said you'll love it."

_Oh great.

* * *

_

The conversation with Walter must have gone okay because the next time I saw Taylor, he pulled me into one of their unoccupied bedrooms and kissed me until I felt weak in the knees. Walter wasn't exactly over the moon about Taylor wanting to teach, but to Walter, it was a hell of a lot better than being a musician.

It was a few minutes before the dinner party was due to start and we were all gathered in the lounge waiting for the arrival of Ryan's parents. To Walter's credit, he appeared to be really making a real effort to find out more about Taylor plans for after college. Taylor was still a little wary, where his father's new attitude was concerned. Even though this was a step in the right direction, they still had a lot of other issues to address, mainly dealing with the bad blood between Walter and Taylor's Spanish family. It was a struggle to resist the constant urge to roll my eyes each time Liz gave me one of her silly grins. She attributed the change in Walter to our earlier conversation.

Taylor made a face when Walter turned his eagle eyes on me and started interrogating me about my family and my after-college plans. Finally, I was able to see where Liz obtained her cross-examining skills. I was immensely relieved when we heard voices coming from the direction of the foyer. Then a semi-casually dressed man of average height and a petite brunette entered the lounge.

After I was introduced to the couple, Royce, Ryan's dad, extended his hand. "So, you must be, Izzy. I've heard a lot about you." Royce smiled and I saw where Ryan's dimpled grin came from. I flicked a glance at my friends, trying to figure out which of them had been talking about me and what had been said.

My smile stiffened somewhat when I was introduced to Monica, Ryan's mother. Although Monica and Ryan shared the same brown eyes, hers lacked the warmth and kindness of her son's. She was garbed in a black, strapless dress with an off the shoulder scarf accent. She seemed a bit overdressed for a casual dinner with friends.

After a few moments of conversation, Ryan tried to sneak away stealthily but Monica spoke up making him jump in alarm. "Where are you going, Ryan?"

He spun around, looking guilty. "Nowhere, Mother."

"If you're going nowhere -"

"- You're guaranteed to get there." Ryan finished with a bitter smile that didn't belong on his face. "I know, you said that to me a lot when I was growing up."

"That's because you always seemed to be going nowhere." She sidled a glance in Liz's direction and added, "And it looks like you're still headed there."

Ryan's face darkened in anger at Liz's flinch and I felt my hackles raise at the veiled insult.

Monica turned to Susan, scrutinizing her outfit, her brown eyes filling with disdain. "Susan, you're looking very… ethnic this evening."

Susan, refusing to let Monica's statement get her, flatly replied, "And you're looking the same as always, overdressed and constipated."

I choked back a comical snort and earned myself an evil eye courtesy of Monica. As I glanced away, my eyes landed on Taylor and I observed the way his mouth twitched in amused as if he was trying hold back a laugh of his own. At least he thought it was funny.

_Oh boy_. I saw Walter and Royce trade anxiety-filled glances. Clearly their women did not like each other and were on the verge of an all out argument (something told me that this wouldn't be their first). And if they wanted to prevent it from happening, then one of them would have to intervene. Something neither man was willing to do.

"Well, we can't all dress like we're spending the evening at a _7-Eleven_," Monica shot back with a dainty wrinkle of her nose.

"You're telling me that I'm not properly dressed?" Susan gestured at Monica's outfit with her hand. "I think you forgot that you're having dinner with your _friend_ at his home and not with the Queen of England." I wondered why Susan emphasized on the friend part.

Monica's red lips tightened into a thin line as she glared daggers at Susan, who stared back blankly, appearing unaffected by her stare. The silence in the room was deafening with everyone waiting to see what would happen next.

Thankfully, Robert intervened before the bloodshed occurred. "Dinner is served."

There were a lot of relieved faces as everyone rose to follow Robert into the dining room. Susan and Walter took their places at opposite ends of the table, I sat between Liz and Taylor, and a morose Ryan claimed the chair between his parents. Everyone ate their meals in an uncomfortable silence that was occasionally interrupted by small talk.

While listening to Monica prattle on and on about her pet poodles and the latest happenings down at the country club, I couldn't help but wonder what she did all day. Surely that couldn't be all there was to Monica Sinclair. Maybe it was just me but Monica came off as a frivolous woman. In addition to that, her shrill, irritating voice was really beginning to grate on my nerves. Then there was the odd way she'd sometimes look at Walter, with a sort of softness. It was odd because she didn't look at Royce the same way.

Monica's increasingly annoying voice broke through my musings. "Do you have a new suit for the ball tomorrow night, Ryan?" She continued before he could answer. "Please, do not show up looking like a vagabond."

"I wouldn't dream of doing anything to embarrass _you_, Mother," Ryan muttered sarcastically under his breath. But once more, Monica didn't hear his retort, as she was too busy chatting Walter up.

Royce appeared thoughtful as he turned to Ryan, his face taking on a measured look. "Are you still serious about the coaching thing?"

"Yes, I am." Ryan frowned, clearly offended by the belittling way his father referred to his career choice.

Royce swirled his wine around in his glass before asking, "And what if I said that you'd be cut off if you decided go through with this plan of yours?" A tense silence descended on the room as everyone waited for Ryan's reply.

"I would tell you to go ahead and do it. I'm not changing my mind," Ryan replied tersely.

Royce nodded, almost as if he was confirming something to himself. "I just needed to see how serious you were about this. Now that I've seen how determined you are, well then… You have my support." Royce smiled at his son and I watched Ryan's face light up like a light bulb. Hell, even Liz was grinning.

"Your support really means a lot, Dad."

"Experience is necessary if you're really serious about this." Royce tone took on a lecture-like quality.

"I know, Dad. When we get back to Hanover, I plan to volunteer with the local youth league."

"The youth league, huh? I might know a guy there. I'll make a call."

"Dad-" Ryan tried to intervene only to be cut off.

"Don't worry about a thing, Ryan. I'll take care of it." Royce insisted and Ryan backed down with a sigh, deciding to choose his battles. He frowned as Royce tipped his head back and emptied his glass. It was his fourth glass for the night while everyone else was still on their first.

"You're in support of this?" Monica asked Royce incredulously.

"I want our son to be happy, Monica. Do you even remember what that feels like, being happy?" Royce muttered bitterly, taking the bottle out of Robert's hand when he came to refill his empty wine glass. Ryan flinched when, after refreshing his glass, Royce slammed the bottle down on the table with a loud thud. Robert's lips firmed slightly, revealing the only sign of his disapproval, as he stepped away from the table.

"I suppose, I have you to thank for this." Contempt laced each word as Monica turned her glower on Liz, and I watched as my friend squirmed in the chair next to me.

I pressed my lips together, trying to keep my sarcastic reply from spilling out of my mouth. I couldn't believe that Liz was just sitting here and letting Monica walk all over her. The Liz I knew would have cussed her out by now. What ever happened to strong, outspoken woman that I'd come to love as a sister?

"Mother, you need to stop blaming Liz. What I want to do with my life is my choice and no one else's," Ryan tried to defend his girlfriend.

"God, I cannot accept this. You're supposed to want to _own_ football teams not coach them. What will I tell everyone down at the country club?" Monica asked no one in particular.

"That your son has a job," Susan muttered dryly but Monica ignored her retort.

"You must be relieved that you still at least have Taylor to make you proud, Walter. I bet he can't wait to join you at the company."

"Actually, Monica, Taylor plans to going into teaching when he finishes college. Isn't that right, Taylor?" Walter looked to Taylor for unneeded confirmation and Taylor gave a brisk nod in agreement.

"God, why on earth would he want to be one of those underpaid souls?" Monica scoffed, more than a tad put out that by Walter's easy acceptance of Taylor's career choice.

"I know the thought would shock you, Monica. But some people don't choose their careers because of what it pays." Susan supplied then traded a supportive smile with Walter.

Every time Walter and Susan exchanged loving glances, a jealous look would flitter across Monica's face, her arched brows snapping into a frown.

_Jealous? Why would Monica be jealous of Susan and Walter?_

It was at that moment I realized, with a sick feeling in my stomach, that Monica was in love with Walter. That was why she hated Liz (the daughter of her rival) so much. Of course, it didn't help that Liz looked so much like Catalina. Jeez, this was all so weird. I knew that Walter, Royce and Monica all grew up together, but Monica and Walter had never been romantically in love. He'd never felt that way about her. Monica was still in love with Walter and probably had been for many years.

Even weirder was the fact that both men seemed to know this and was steadfastly choosing to ignore it. Susan noticed it though, and she didn't like it one bit if her cold glare was anything to go by.

I supposed the saying was true. You really couldn't help the one you fell in love with._ Poor Royce_. I couldn't imagine how he must have felt, knowing that his wife was in love with his best friend. That was probably why he was steadily working his way through Walter's bottle of Merlot. This was so messed up. Zach was right, rich people were so weird.

"Oh for God's sake, Monica. Liz and Ryan have been together a long time now. So long, in fact, I wouldn't be surprised to hear them announcing their engagement within the next year or so," Royce spoke up, allowing some of his anger to show in his voice.

Monica was livid at the thought and snapped, "Over my dead body."

Anger emanated off of Taylor's rigid body in invisible waves as he fought to keep his anger in check. The hand on his lap tightened until the knuckles cracked softly. As a show of support, I wanted to place my hand in his. Maybe help calm him a bit. But a part of me suspected that he would only end up squeezing the hell out of my hand, and, quite frankly, the wolf had already done enough damage. Taylor would've only ended up crippling me.

Susan rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation, "Why do you have to be such a drama queen, Monica? Ryan can do much worse than Liz."

"I suppose it's not her fault that she lacks the proper grace and breeding," Monica's lips curled into a vicious smile, and I felt Taylor stiffen next to me. She went too far, now she was insulting their mother.

It was at this point that Walter tried to intervene. He'd only managed to say Monica's name before Susan interrupted. "Proper breeding? You're one to talk," Susan laughed.

"Excuse me?" Monica queried haughtily with a lift of her eyebrow.

"You heard me. You're just going to sit there and insinuate that Liz isn't from proper breeding when everyone knows that your parents were cousins."

Monica inhaled sharply, her face turned deathly pale, then the room was filled with silence again. Looking around the room at everyone's reactions showed that Monica's parentage wasn't exactly news but no one was expecting Susan to go there. These were all things that they all knew but remained unsaid, much like Monica's feelings for Walter. Royce took a large gulp out of his glass of wine and Walter leaned away from the table, running a hand through his graying hair.

Ryan tried not to look at me but when he finally did, his brown eyes were so full of shame that I felt my own heart clench in sympathy. The small smile on Susan's face faded and was replaced with guilt upon witnessing Ryan's discomfort. In trying to stick up for Liz, Susan had only succeeded in making things worse. This was why no one was willing to put Monica in her place, because Ryan would get hurt in the process.

With a small shrug of my shoulders, I offered Ryan a smile that I hoped conveyed that I didn't think any less of him. It wasn't Ryan's fault that his grandparents were related, hell, it wasn't even Monica's. Besides, I wasn't in any place to judge anybody. A few years ago, I was head over heels in love with a dead man. Of course, that wasn't what I saw when I looked at Edward. Though in reality, he was dead and if I wanted to be with him forever, then I would've had to die too.

Monica's face paled then twisted in fury, and I thought that she was about to lunge across the table and attack Susan. But instead, she turned her fury on Walter. "I must say, Walter, you really are attracted to trash. First, you marry that little foreign slut-"

"Don't even _think_ about finishing that sentence!" Walter cut her off harshly with an intimidating scowl on his face. He might have been willing to let Monica get away with insulting his daughter, but he sure as hell wasn't about to stand by and let her disrespect the memory of his dead wife.

Monica's pretty face twisted into lines of bitterness before she spat, "The woman was beneath me and so is her daughter."

Suddenly, the glass in Taylor's hand shattered, sending shards of glass flying everywhere. Blood oozed out of the wound, dripping onto the beige and cotton tablecloth. Walter shot Ryan a panicked look and I read the message in his eyes. _Get him out of here, now!_ Within seconds Ryan was already on his feet, making his way around the table.

"Come on, man. Let's go get that hand fixed," Ryan anxiously urged Taylor to leave the room. Before allowing Ryan to lead him away, Taylor threw a frightening glare in Monica's direction and I shuddered in fear. I hoped he would never look at me that way.

"Walter, one of these days that boy is going to kill someone with that temper of his," Monica remarked unkindly.

_Oh hell no!_ Next to me, I saw Liz ball her fists and sat back in anticipation for the volcano that was sure to erupt, otherwise known as Liz's temper. Liz would never let Monica get away with saying that about her brother. Ryan wasn't here, so Liz had free reign to go off on Monica. God knows she'd been begging for it all night.

Imagine my surprise when the explosion never came. Instead Liz rose from the table, mumbling something about going to check on Taylor. I couldn't believe it. She just crawled away with her tail between her legs.

_What the hell!_

I grabbed my cane and went after her, not care one bit that I was being rude by leaving in the middle of dinner. I caught up with her in the foyer.

"Where are you going, Liz?"

"I'm going to see if Taylor's all right." Liz turned around but kept her eyes on the ground.

"What are you doing? Ryan's with Taylor now, this is the perfect opportunity to tell that witch off."

"I… I can't." Her voice shook with an unidentifiable emotion.

"Why the hell not?" I cross-examined hotly.

"I just…" Liz raised her head to look at me, and what I saw knocked the wind out of my sails. _Fear_. She was afraid of Monica.

In a perfect world, Liz would have been able to tell Monica where to go and how to get there. But we didn't live in a perfect world and Liz didn't have the courage to stand up to the woman who had done nothing but torment her, her entire life. Liz was much better at standing up for others than she was at standing up for herself. It somehow seemed criminal to hold my tongue and let Monica get away with her maliciousness.

It was with this thought that I turned on my good heel and stalked back in the direction of the dining room. I would stand up for my friend because I knew without a doubt that she would do the same for me.

I could hear Liz's nervous voice behind me. "Izzy, what are you doing?"

I was _so_ over Boston. It had only been twenty-four hours and already I was ready to go back home. The people here were just too messed up for me to deal with.

When I re-entered the dining room, it appeared that I'd walked in on an argument between Walter and Monica. But I was too pissed off to care. Before the night was through, I would say my piece.

Monica seemed surprised as I laid into her. "You should be ashamed of yourself for picking on Liz. She is a good person and she showed a lot of class tonight by not stooping to your level. And your son, I feel bad for him having to grow up with someone like you as his mother. He is also a good person and I know that that's in spite of you and not because of you."

Monica's mouth opened in outrage then closed, pressing into a thin line. She turned to Royce. "Are you just going to sit there and allow this street urchin to speak to me like that?"

Royce looked from Monica to me then turned to Susan. "Please pass the salt." Susan did so with a smirk on her face.

I continued, "I won't go into the real reason you despise Liz so much out of respect for your husband. But keep it up, keep acting like a bitter harpy and you'll become one of those pathetic women that dies alone and gets eaten by her dogs."

"How dare you speak to me this way?"

"I dare because I'm not your friend and I'm not your son. I don't have to sugarcoat the truth; I can shove it right in your face." I whirled around and stormed out of the room.

Behind me, I heard Royce comment to Walter. "You're son's going to have his hands full with that one."

A furious Liz met me in the hallway on my way to the foyer. "What the hell, Izzy? You couldn't stay out of it, could you? What the hell is your problem?"

I understood what Liz was doing. She couldn't yell at Monica, so she was yelling at me.

"I'm afraid, Liz." Seeing Liz's fear that night made me realize my own.

Liz was caught off guard by my admission. "Afraid of what?"

"I'm afraid to go back to Forks," I sighed.

It was the truth. When each college break approached, I would begin to have thoughts about going back to Forks for a visit. But those thoughts were usually pushed aside when I thought about seeing Jacob again, or more importantly, seeing Jacob with Carmen. I just wasn't ready to go back there, not yet.

"Is it because of that guy?" Liz didn't need to say Jacob's name.

"He's a part of it, yes but not all." I wasn't ready to face my past and the person that I used to be. "I'm not ready to go back there, and until I am, you guys are the only real family I have. So I'm not gonna sit by, watch somebody treat you like crap and not say anything about it. Okay?"

Liz blinked back the tears brimming in her eyes and whispered, "Okay."

Liz then led me up the stairs and into the darkness of her bedroom, where we lay side by side on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. I knew she didn't want to talk, so I reached out and took her hand in mine, trying to communicate my support. Her gentle squeeze confirmed that she'd received my message.

Moments later, her door swung open and Taylor and Ryan entered the room. I came up on my elbows when Taylor crawled into the space next to me. "Is your hand okay?"

"It's fine," Taylor supplied with a wave of his bandaged hand.

We laid next to each other in a contented silence that was interrupted when a bad smell permeated the room.

"Oh, _ew_. What is that smell?" I was the first one to notice it.

"Damn it, Ryan! You're disgusting," Liz cried before covering her nose.

"It was an accident!" Ryan insisted.

Suddenly we all erupted in a fit of laughter and I felt Taylor's hand clasp my own. Leave it to Ryan to give us our one and only laugh of the night.

It seemed like we were all running from our pasts. Taylor was still so angry about the life he thought his father stole from him. Ryan was trying to get away from problems in his parent's marriage. Liz was a brave, outspoken woman but tonight I saw that she hadn't always been this way. Getting away from Monica's constant barrage of insults was what finally allowed Liz to come into her own. And for me, going away to college had been the best thing. It gave me a chance to grow up and learn how to take care of myself. I wasn't sorry that I'd left Forks and all that craziness behind.

I knew that the day would come when I would have to go back. What I didn't know about was the hell that I would have to go through before that day finally came.

* * *

**A/N: **Oh how I have missed you guys. Just newly returned from three wonderful weeks of vacation with an extra long chapter for you guys.

**Story Recap: **Bella's starting to put the pieces of the puzzle, that is Taylor, together. She had Liz sweating.

I gave you guys a summary of what Leah's chapter will contain.

What do you think about Alice and Liz's masquerade surprise?

The dinner from hell, Ryan's life sucks.

A lot of family secrets came out of the closet.

Bella told Monica where to go.

**A/N: **I won't stay away so long next time. **Review and be teased people!**


	49. I will not make a scene

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 49

Liz and I spent the morning at Susan's studio. Liz was in her element, trailing behind Susan as she elaborated on her inspiration for each of her paintings. Art wasn't really my thing, but I was just pleased to see Liz smiling again after what she went through the night before. Ryan refused to talk about what was going on with his parents, saying that he didn't care about their problems. Despite Ryan's protests to the contrary, I knew that it had to hurt, knowing that he was a product of their unhappy, failing marriage.

I was surprised to discover that my invitation to the ball hadn't been rescinded. After all, I did mouth off to the hostess of the event, calling her a bad wife, mother and all around awful human being. It probably shouldn't have surprised me because from what I saw last night, Monica was the kind of woman who liked to keep up appearances. Even if she wanted to dis-invite me, I doubted that Walter and Royce would have supported her on that.

Later that night, Liz helped me get ready for the masquerade ball. She looked gorgeous in her dark green, off the shoulder gown that accentuated her small waist and brought out her eyes. On her face, Liz wore a simple white mask that highlighted the crystals and rhinestones that decorated her gown. Her brown hair was styled in a half up-do and for jewelry she stole/borrowed the emerald earrings and necklace that I'd gotten from Edward. I didn't mind, though. It was nice that the jewelry was getting some use.

When she first revealed my dress to me, I took one look at the crimson pile of fabric, and then promptly ran for the door. With a house so large, there would be countless places to hide. It was my hope that Taylor would take pity on me and let me hide in his room. But Liz, already anticipating my freak-out, was prepared, catching up with me before I even made it to the door. She tackled me to the floor, threatening to cut my hair while I slept if I chickened out on her. In the end, I had no other alternative than to relent in my escape attempts and allow Liz to clothe me.

My captor's eyes glinted as she stepped away, assessing me with a mischievous smile on her face. Standing stock still, I stared in awe at the woman in the mirror. My gown was an apple-toned strapless style with a pick-up skirt and corseted back. I lovingly ran my gloved hands over the satin fabric, admiring the bejeweled accented bodice. My hair had been arranged in a low-hanging, loose bun with curly tendrils that framed my face. I wore a red mask on my face. Thankfully, I managed to talk Liz down from the tiara that Alice sent.

Liz's reflection joined mine in the mirror. "We look like a couple of princesses," she sighed dreamily and I silently agreed with her. Even though I wasn't a big, puffy dress type of girl, I was beginning to feel like I was in a fairytale. "Come on. Let's go meet our princes."

As we were about to leave the room, I heard my cell phone vibrate, indicating that I'd received a text. I flipped it open to discover a message from Alice.

_I knew you'd look perfect! Edward thinks so too._

_Have fun at the ball and enjoy the after-party later. :P_

I frowned with the phone in my hand. _After-party? What after-party?_

Liz impatiently interrupted my thoughts. "Izzy, _come on_."

"I'm coming. Just give me a second." After texting back a quick _thanks, now stop looking_ to Alice, I gathered up my skirt before exiting the room with Liz.

Ryan and Taylor were waiting for us at the bottom of the staircase. They were each garbed in full dress tailcoats with matching, black trousers. Taylor wore a white, phantom of the opera mask that covered half of his face while Ryan had on a red and black mask with a ridiculous beak.

"You appear to be in need of a proper ravishing, my lady," Ryan complimented Liz in an exaggerated English accent as he pulled her off to the side.

He leaned on close to her ear and whispered something that made Liz giggle, "You rogue."

I turned away from the scene smiling and found Taylor looking at me with an unfathomable look on his face. A slight blush bloomed beneath my mask as I gazed at the handsome picture he made in his suit.

He didn't say anything; he didn't need to. The smoldering look in his eyes said it all as they roamed my figure, pausing briefly to linger over my prominent cleavage. The predatory gleam in his eyes was enough to send my heart into overdrive and I glanced away bashfully. Redirecting my stare, I found Ryan observing us quite intently with his silly grin on show. I rolled my eyes at this but then furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as I looked at Liz.

Her eyes were closed and face pinched in concentration. _What is she doing?_ Ryan followed my inquisitive stare and broke Liz out of whatever she was doing with a slight nudge of his elbow. At my raised eyebrows, Liz smiled guilty as if she was caught doing something wrong. It was almost as if I'd caught her spying on us or something. _Weird._

After posing for pictures (a request from Alice), we climbed into the limo and Jeffery drove us to the ball.

Subsequent to our arrival at the Crown Plaza, our coats were deposited in the cloakroom. Upon entering the Grand Ballroom, I noted that the party was already in full swing. Hundreds of masked, impeccably dressed figures glided across a large dance floor to ballroom dance music provided by a classical orchestra.

My eyes widened in wonderment at the size and elegant grandeur of the room. Crystal chandeliers hung from the thirty-foot, barrel ceiling that was painted in a cloud and sky mural. A series of bowed balconies overlooked the ballroom, which was lined by large marble columns. The Ivory Room was adjacent to the ballroom, serving as the dining room for guests who wanted to dine or simply rest their dancing feet. Monica had apparently gone all out for the prestigious affair.

The gang and I opted to stand on one of the balconies, drinking champagne and enjoying the view of the dancers from above. We spotted Susan and Walter in the crowd below, standing next to Royce and Monica. Liz stood next to me, pointing out the other people she recognized under their masks. I occasionally nodded, only devoting half of my attention toward listening to her. The remainder of my attention was assigned to Taylor's hand that was currently drawing lazy circles on my lower back.

When Liz turned away, absorbed in something Ryan was saying to her, Taylor rattled me as he leaned in close, cloaking my back with the warmth of his body.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" He murmured into my ear with a sexy purr in his voice that made my toes curl.

"You don't have to tell me, I _know_ I look good," I sassed with a flirtatious smile, turning around to peer at him coyly beneath my mask.

Turning away from Taylor, I locked gazes with the blue eyes of a raven-haired woman across the room. _Who is she? _She wore a dark blue, taffeta ball gown with a matching handheld mask that covered half of her face. Without removing her eyes from me, she murmured something to a woman in a yellow and white gown before setting off in our direction, with a purposeful swing in her hips. A swing that was evidently meant to draw the stares and admiration of anything that peed standing up.

Even from all the way across the room, I could sense trouble as the woman approached, maneuvering her way through the people that separated us. Did it make me a terrible person for wishing that she'd trip on her expensive gown and fall flat on her face? _Probably_.

Liz followed my gaze and upon recognition grumbled, "Please tell me that bitch isn't on her way over here."

I aimed a curious look in Liz's direction at the incensed tone in her voice. Her lips were pressed together in annoyance and I was certain that her eyebrows were drawn together in a scowl beneath her mask.

Taylor had overheard Liz's grumblings and turned to look at the advancing woman. His expression hardly changed at all, except for the annoyed twitch of his mouth. _Ah, so he didn't like her either, whoever she was._

Only when the woman arrived in front of us, did her eyes leave my face to look at Taylor. She removed her mask and to my dismay, she was gorgeous. She wasn't pretty in _the girl next door way_ either. No, she was stunning in the _could be a model way_, with her silky black locks, pouty, full lips, button nose, elfin chin, a body any man would mortgage his house for… I could have gone on, but my self-esteem was taking enough hits with each observation made, so I forced myself to stop.

So, she was beautiful. _No big deal_.

She smiled at Taylor, revealing a perfect set of white teeth. _Small potatoes_.

It was the way in which she looked at Taylor that bothered me. The look was a familiar one that seemed to say _I know what you look like with your clothes off_. I didn't care for that look at all, not one bit.

"Taylor, it's been a long time," the woman purred in a sexy voice that grated on my nerves.

Next to me, I heard Liz murmur, _not long enough_ and silently agreed with her.

"Yes, it has," was Taylor's only reply as he stared back at her blankly.

The woman's smile faltered a bit, almost as if she'd been expecting a different reaction from him than the one she'd received.

She spun to greet Ryan, who responded with an aloofness that was unlike him. I think it must have had something to do with the fact that Liz was giving him the evil eye, silently warning against him being too friendly. Liz answered her acknowledgment with a cold stare.

"Since no one will introduce me, I'll do it. I'm Brooke Carmichael," she announced with a bit of triumph as she held out her hand. With a plastered, fake smile, I shook her hand. "Taylor and I used to be an item, a couple of years back."

The leggy model was Taylor's ex girlfriend. _She _does _know what he looks like naked!_

A pang of jealousy surged through my body and I struggled to keep it from showing on my face. It appeared that my attempts were unsuccessful as Brooke's eyes momentarily glinted with satisfaction. Taylor didn't look all that excited happy to see her. Did they break up because they were going off to different schools? Did Taylor still have feelings for her? Already it was clear that she wanted him back.

"Well, don't just stand there, Taylor. We have a lot of catching up to do." Brooke then proceeded to wrap her arm around Taylor's, practically pulling at him. For once, I wished that Taylor was the kind of guy that shoved away grabby women.

I placed myself close to Liz and asked the questions that had been burning a hole in my mind. "That's his ex-girlfriend? Why did they break up?"

Liz rolled her eyes. "She dumped Taylor."

_Seriously?_ "Why?"

"Look at her, Izzy. Brooke loves attention. She gets off on it. She broke up with Taylor, thinking he would chase after her. But when her plan backfired, she came crawling back. By then it was too late. Once my brother is done, he's done."

"Was he hurt when they broke up?"

"My brother would never admit it, but to be honest, he wasn't that invested in their relationship. And I use the term _relationship_ loosely."

Everyone proceeded down the stairs and into the Ivory Room where some guests were already seated at their tables. Some were enjoying meals while others were enjoying conversation. It turned out that we would also be sharing our table with three other people: a couple and the woman that Brooke was talking to before she spotted us. I sat in the chair between Taylor and Liz, while Brooke settled into the chair next to Taylor. My eyes met Monica's across the room and I had the sneaking suspicion that she had something to do with our seating arrangements.

I was beginning to feel a little hungry, and decided to order something to help combat the tipsy effects all the champagne I'd drank for the night. Listening to Brooke's insipid prattle, I had the feeling that I might need more champagne to get through dinner. Despite Brooke's obvious beauty, she had the depth of a puddle and the intelligence of a carrot.

As we ate, Brooke, Shannon (her friend) and the couple carried on most of the conversation, while the rest of us made halfhearted attempts to answer questions asked by Brooke. When she wasn't flirting with Taylor, she was bragging about Stanford University and her bright future as an actress. You guessed it, Brooke was majoring in Drama.

To Brooke's credit, she wasn't outright in her attempts to flirt with Taylor. No, subtly was more Brooke's style. As she walked down memory lane, telling tales about going to Taylor's swim meets and their various dates, I spied the fluttering of eyelashes and the twirling of hair.

I began the night feeling like a princess, but as I observed Brooke's attempts to pick up my prince right in front of me, I summarized that every fairytale needed an evil old witch. Brooke was beginning to piss me off, in a bad way, and if I didn't get away from this table, I was sure that I would create a scene.

I abruptly rose from the table with the intention to go to the ladies room. Liz eyed me warily. "Are you okay, Izzy?"

"I'm fine. I'll be right back," I said with a slight roll of my eyes and Liz gave me quick nod. Slowly, I made my way to the bathroom and retouched my makeup. When I was finished with that, I left the bathroom, but didn't immediately return to my friends.

Instead, I hid behind one of the columns to covertly observe Taylor and Brooke's interaction. Even though Brooke appeared to be speaking to everyone, the majority of her talkfest was aimed at Taylor. For the most part, Taylor appeared to be listening to her, although he would get the occasional distracted look on his face and his eyes would search around the room.

_Is he looking for me?_

Brooke placed her hand on Taylor's arm, I assumed it was to regain his attention, and I suppressed the urge to storm across the dining area and break each and every one of her perfectly manicured fingers.

My shameful spying was interrupted when Susan spoke up from behind me, causing me to start in alarm. "What are you doing hiding out over here?" She wore a black gown with a gold thread design that matched the gold catlike mask on her face.

My face grew hot as I tried to deny the obvious. "I'm not hiding." When Susan's disbelieving expression failed to change, I shamefully confessed with a sigh, "I was spying."

Susan cocked one perfectly shaped brow. "On who?"

"See the girl in blue over there?" I pointed toward our table. "That's Taylor's ex-girlfriend."

Susan nodded in understanding. "Ah, I get it now. So why aren't you over there defending your property?"

I was all set to do the denial thing. You know, just friends and all that crap, but the look on Susan's face said she wouldn't have believed a word of it. "I… It's… I don't care. Really I don't. It's just that she looks like Megan freaking Fox and I look like… me." I hung my head, feeling more than a little humiliated. It was one thing to think it, but quite a different story to admit it out loud.

"So, what if she's beautiful? You're not exactly Quasimodo swinging from a bell tower." Susan scoffed and a small smile tugged at my lips. Susan definitely had a way with words.

"I know but…"

"Is Taylor encouraging her in any way, shape or form?"

Come to think of it, the only time Taylor bothered to speak to Brooke at all was when she asked him a question. In fact, judging by the frowns and narrowing of his eyes, I'd say that Brooke got on his nerves a lot.

Susan interpreted my silence as a negative response. "Well get back over there. And let me give you a word of advice, Izzy. Don't let her beauty intimidate you. If that was all Taylor was interested in, then they'd still be together today." Susan's steady gaze held me for a moment before she turned away, heading in Walter's direction.

I drew in a deep, fortifying breath before gathering my skirt and reentering the Ivory Room.

Taylor seemed to relax when he saw me making my way back to the table. Liz glared at me as I reclaimed my seat, wordlessly scolding me for leaving her to fend for herself. When I tuned in to the conversation, I realized why. Brooke was talking about getting a breast implants. Why would she even bring that up now or even entertain the thought? As far as I could see Brooke already had the perfect body.

I stared in dismay at Brooke's breasts, feeling the size of my own breasts shrink when compared to hers. And to think, earlier tonight, I was actually proud of my little fried eggs. Okay, I was willing to admit that I was being a tad overdramatic when I described my breasts as fried eggs, but in my defense, it was hard to be optimistic when Brooke's breasts had the power to cause an eclipse.

"I've already done a commercial. The producer said I was a natural," Brooke boasted.

_Hm? Was it a commercial for Dulcolax stool softener?_

Brooke smiled and with a toss of her hair preened, "It's so fulfilling when you get to live out your dream."

I fisted my hands in the fabric of my dress, silently hoping that she would shut up. Brooke turned her attention on me, blue eyes flashing. "What did you say your major was, Izzy?"

_I didn't._ "English."

"Oh, well… that's um… great." She smiled, teasing as if we were old friends. "I suppose we can't all have interesting majors."

_Oh no, this bitch did not just call my major boring! _I took a deep breath to dispel my anger, chanting silently, _I will not make a scene. I will not make a scene._

When Brooke turned her attention to Shannon and Liz leaned in close to murmur, "Do you want me to get that bitch, Izzy?"

Her offer made me smile. "No, it's fine." _I_ _will not make a scene._

Brooke started back up with her breast implants conversation. "You know, I don't think I'll get them. I mean, why try to improve on perfection?"

_I think you should get them. Then you'll have fake breasts to go right along with your fake personality._

A gasp startled me out of my thoughts. I looked up from the silk tablecloth to discover that everyone at our table staring at me in shocked amusement. However, Brooke was currently giving me the glare of death.

_Oh my God! Did I say that out loud?_

The stares coming from nearby tables confirmed that I did indeed voice my thoughts. I felt the heat crawl up my face and I wished for the ground to swallow me whole. I'd successfully managed to make a scene. And what was even worse, I'd probably embarrassed Taylor as well. My big mouth was quickly turning out to be the bane of my existence_._

The humiliating silence was broken by the deep, rumbling laugh from the man sitting next to me. With widened eyes, I looked up to discover that not only was Taylor unembarrassed by my slip, he was having a hard time controlling his laughter. When Taylor was finally able to compose himself, he pushed himself away from the table and stood up.

"Would you like to dance?" Taylor asked with sparkling eyes and a small smile on his face.

He extended his hand and I replied by placing my hand in his, allowing him to help me from my seat. As he led me toward the dance floor, I threw a glance over my shoulder. Upon meeting Brooke's incensed stare, I permitted a smug smile to cross my face.

_Ha! In your face, bitch!_

We entered the Grand Ballroom just as the music changed to a waltz. At first, I was a little nervous, having never waltzed before, but Taylor was a patient teacher and soon enough, I picked up the basic dance steps. I wasn't a pro. This fact was proven after I stepped on his foot for the third time.

"I'm sorry." _Ballroom dancing is _so_ not my thing._

Taylor smiled. "It's fine. I hardly feel anything at all."

It wasn't my intention to ask about Brooke but I just couldn't help myself. "So that's your ex-girlfriend? You never talk about her."

"You never talk about Jacob." The hand on my back tightened slightly.

I looked away and tightly murmured, "Touché." I knew why I never talked about Jacob. Talking about him would lead to thinking about him and that was something I never allowed myself to do very often. I only allowed myself to think about Jacob on special occasions like his birthday, holidays and whenever I felt the need to grieve for what might've been. Was it was the same for Taylor? Was he also haunted by thoughts of the past?

"Look, I never talk about her because our relationship wasn't that big of a deal," Taylor admitted with a sigh.

"She's pretty," I remarked, striving to keep the jealousy out of my voice.

Taylor cocked an eyebrow in amusement and remarked, "You're jealous."

"I am not," I blurted quickly to dispel any doubts otherwise but I wasn't successful.

"Whatever you say." His lips quirked into a knowing smile and I smiled despite myself.

Suddenly, the music stopped and the percussionist began to play a drum roll announcing that the countdown to midnight was about to begin. As the waiters began to pass out glasses of champagne to the guests, Taylor grabbed my hand, escorting me off of the dance floor and into an empty, moonlit room located to the back of the ballroom. Luckily, no one saw us stealing away into the shadows.

No sooner than when the crowd began its cheer of, _Happy New Year!_ did I find myself pressed up against a wall with Taylor's hard body holding me captive. As his lips descended on mine, his arms encircled my body, pulling me even closer. With a slant of my head, I parted my lips and Taylor drove his tongue into my mouth.

The loud cheering of the crowd in the next room was an unwanted reminder of how high our risk of discovery was. The room wasn't dark enough to completely hide us away from prying eyes. All someone had to do was wander away from the ballroom and the jig would be up. Then all of Boston's high society would know that Walter Reed's son and his date got caught in a compromising position. The thought should have been enough to stop us but it wasn't. If anything, the thought of getting caught excited me even more.

I threw my arms around his shoulders and kissed him back ravenously. Strong hands slinked down my back to grab my ass, grounding my pelvis against his. But this time, the thick fabric of my dress prevented me from feeling anything. Taylor reached down with one hand and lifted my leg, attempting to hook it around his hip. But he attempts were somewhat hampered by my dress. The damn thing was just too puffy.

Taylor let out a growl of frustration before he grabbed for the edges of my skirt, impatiently moving them out of the way so he could try to lift my leg again. At least that was what I _thought_ he wanted to do.

My breath became trapped in my throat when his hand cupped me between my legs. When his hand began to move back and forth, I thought that I would die on the spot. Lips moved down my jaw toward my neck and I heard Taylor groan. Then just as quickly as it began, it ended.

"This is not the way I wanted this to happen." His hand stopped moving then he took it away.

"But-" I opened my mouth to protest but Taylor silenced me with his own.

He pulled away to murmur heatedly, "Later. After the ball." And I nodded in agreement.

As Taylor stepped away, my eyes widened when I took in his appearance. Somewhere in our frantic makeup session, I'd managed to undo his tie and unbutton his shirt. As Taylor tried to button his shirt, I worked on smoothing down my puffy dress.

_I can't wait to go back to the house and get out of this large thing._

Immediately after that thought, I heard Liz's voice calling my name. Startled, I looked at Taylor to discover that he'd hardly made any progress at all in rearranging his clothes.

Liz's voice was getting closer to us and I turned to Taylor. "You have to hide."

"No." Taylor frowned.

"You have to. If Liz sees us like this she'll think we were…" _Having sex_, I finished silently.

"Please. This isn't the way I want her to find out about us."

"Fine, you want me to hide. I'll hide." The wicked curve of his lips worried me. That smile said that he would find some way to punish me for making him hide.

Taylor grasped my shoulders and spun me away from him, to face the room's entrance.

"What are you-?" My words were cut off when I felt a light breeze at my posterior, followed by a presence under my dress.

Taylor was hiding beneath my dress!

The realization hadn't sunk in before Liz came into view, entering the room. "Hey, Izzy." She looked around. "Where's Taylor?"

"I ah… sent him to get me a drink." I hesitated when I felt Taylor's warm breath on the back of my thighs. Was he doing that on purpose?

"Oh. What are you in here anyway?"

"Just wanted to get away from the noise and stuff." I tried to sound casual and ignore the warm, wet something that was touching me behind my knee. I think it was his tongue!

Liz's smile turned sneaky. "Oh please. I know why you're in here."

"You do?"

"Yeah. You came in here to scratch your ass again, didn't you?" The tongue froze in its circular motions.

My face colored beneath my mask and I denied, "Oh my God. I don't do that."

"Are you kidding me? We've all seen you do it. Izzy, I swear sometimes I think you have fleas." _Oh God!_

I just wanted to crawl away and die somewhere. Especially when I heard Taylor's soft snort of laughter behind me. Liz didn't hear it as she was much closer to the orchestra music than I was. The situation couldn't get any more embarrassing.

"Well, go ahead and do it. I know I interrupted you." Liz smiled teasingly.

"What?"

"Jeez, don't be shy, Izzy. There's no one here but us." She hesitated with a frown. "Unless you're in here for some other reason…"

"No, no. You caught me. I came to scratch." This elicited another snort from Taylor.

Under Liz's teasing stare, I shamefully lifted my hand and proceeded to scratch an itch I most surely did not have. God, I'd never been so humiliated in my life. Liz made it seem as if I just went around scratching my ass all the time. It only happened that one time while I was doing my drowsy, morning shuffle into the kitchen. Liz caught me and never let me forget it. _The little demon._

When my humiliation was complete, I removed my hand then heard Ryan's voice as he approached the room. "Hey, Liz. Did you find them?"

"Taylor went to get something to drink and Izzy just came in here to… you know."

"What?" Liz chose to answer Ryan by making a clawing motion with her hand. My mouth fell open in mortification when Ryan nodded in understanding.

_Unbelievable!_

"Let's leave her to it then. I feel a dance coming on." With that he led Liz out of the room and they disappeared into the crowd on the dance floor.

As soon as they were out of sight, I snatched at the back of my dress, moving away to reveal a guffawing Taylor. He could barely stand up because he was laughing so hard. When his laughing fit had ended, he stood up, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Wouldn't it have been easier if you'd just let Liz find us?" Taylor finished buttoning up his shirt and was now working on his tie.

"We will never speak of this again," I grumbled with a pout, still feeling sore from my humiliating encounter.

I glanced up just in time to catch Taylor stalking toward me. My heart raced as I backed away until the wall stopped my retreat. I wasn't able to suppress a shiver as Taylor leaned in close, rubbing his nose against my cheek like a predator scenting prey. "Want me to make it up to you?"

"How?" I asked breathlessly.

"I have something in mind… an after-party in my room." He trailed a finger down the length of my neck, stopping at the edge of my gown.

I dimly recalled Alice's text message about an after party, quickly realizing that this was what she was referring to. My body began to hum with excitement.

Although my tongue felt glued to the roof of my mouth, I managed to ask, "What about Liz and Ryan?"

"I'll take care of it." The smile he gave me was a dark, devilish one.

After we reentered the ballroom, Taylor immediately went in search of our friends to tell them that we were leaving. We used my ankle as an excuse, placing the blame on all of the standing and dancing I'd done for the night. It wasn't an outright lie as I'd chosen to leave off my ankle brace when I was getting ready. Liz and Ryan weren't ready to call it a night so they chose to stay. Walter gave Taylor the keys to his town car, saying that he would ride with Liz and Ryan in the limo on his return to the house.

The air in the car was tense and filled with expectation as Taylor drove us back to the house. Taylor parked the car at the entrance of the house and tugged my cape closed before walking around the car to help me out.

Snowflakes dusted us lightly as we made our way up the stairs. After removing our capes, Taylor carried me up the stairs bridal style and down the hall.

He stopped at my door and slowly slid me down the length of his firm body. Taylor leaned in, hands going around my waist to the back of my dress. My cheeks reddened when I felt a short tug as Taylor unzipped my dress. Automatically, my hands wrapped around my chest to prevent the dress from falling off completely.

_Does he want me to get naked right here in the hallway?_

We were both breathing hard as he slowly drew away from me. "I'll be right back." Almost as if he couldn't help himself, he leaned in and gave me a quick peck on the lips before saying, "In the meantime, lose the dress."

And with that, Taylor disappeared down the hallway while I stood there, dazed and nervous as hell.

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**A/N: **You guys would've gotten this chapter last week but unfortunately for us, my beta isn't an internet addicted hermit crap. Too bad (lol)

**Story Recap: **Bella and her runaway mouth. That girl needs some tape.

Brooke probably wanted to smack Bella.

Bella was jealous of Brooke.

How did you enjoy the masquerade ball?

Liz makes Bella scratch herself... my mind is so messed up.

Bella and Taylor ring in the new year together... to be continued.

**A/N: **The links on my profile of Bella and Liz's gowns are up. Tomorrow's my birthday. yay!

**Review and be teased people!**


	50. Knock on my back door

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 50

A few minutes later, I'd already changed out of my gown and into a tank top with matching shorts. As I sat on my bed, I glanced at the clock for what seemed like the hundredth time for the night. Any second now, Taylor would show up at my door, then we would go into his room and then… What? Would we have sex? The thought was enough to make my heart thud heavily in anticipation.

But as the seconds ticked by, apprehension began to overshadow any feelings of excitement. Despite my twenty-one years, I was still, what many would call, embarrassingly inexperienced when it came to sex. Hell, except for the missing hymen, I was still a virgin in many ways. For instance, I barely knew what foreplay consisted of, attributed to that fact that Jacob and I had jumped from first to fourth base so quickly. And from what I saw of his ex-girlfriend tonight, I gathered that Taylor was used to women with a certain amount of sexual knowledge. Knowledge that I was sorely lacking.

And what if I said that I wasn't ready to go all the way tonight? Would Taylor get annoyed and try to guilt or manipulate me into sex the way Dillon used to?

In the process of wiping my sweaty palms on the duvet, I realized that I was in over my head. And if I didn't want to make a complete fool out of myself tonight, then I would need some advice, fast! But who could I call? Liz was still at the ball; Leah would be at Emily's party with Zach, and I sure as hell couldn't call Alice and risk Edward accidentally overhearing. So that only left me with one choice: Angela.

She didn't go back to Forks for the holidays, opting to spend Christmas at her apartment in Florida. I dialed her number, hoping she would still be awake and somewhat sober at one o'clock in the morning.

After three rings, Angela picked up. "Hello!"

"Hello… Angela, can you hear me?" I could barely distinguish her voice over the music and noise in the background.

"Bella, is that you? Just hang on a sec." There was a muffled sound as the background noise decreased. After a short moment, Angela came back on the line. "Hi, Bella! What's up?" She greeted me a tad too cheerfully.

"Angela? Are you drunk?"

"Not really. Just a little New Year's buzz. What's up with you?" Before calling, I didn't stop to consider that Angela might be at a New Year's Eve party of her own.

"I'm sorry, Angela. I didn't mean to take you away from your party. I'll call you back some other time."

"You aren't interrupting anything special. Besides, I've already barricaded myself in the bathroom, so you might as well tell me why you're calling me so late."

"It's just… I…" I trailed off, not knowing how to kick off the conversation. Asking for Angela's advice would mean telling her about Taylor, and we had yet to discuss when we were going to start telling people about us.

"Spit it out, Bella."

I squeezed my eyes shut and blurted, "I kissed Taylor!"

"What?"

"He kissed me. We kissed."

Angela fell silent for a bit before saying, "Oh my God. Tell me everything."

With clammy palms and a queasy stomach, I told her everything from what happened in the cave to the masquerade ball. It felt nice finally being able to confide in someone. "And any second now, Taylor's going to show up at my door and I am freaking out, Angela. What am I going to do?"

"Oh, so you're calling for some sex advice?"

"Well, I wouldn't mind…" My cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.

"You called the right person, Bella. I've picked up quite a bit of experience from my two years of living in Florida." My mouth fell open at Angela's statement. I never would've pegged her as a sex guru.

"Well, let me tell you up front, Taylor looks like he's a fairly large guy, so your first time is going to hurt."

_First time?_ "Angela, I'm not a virgin," I informed.

There was a brief pause on the line. "You're not?" Angela asked with surprise evident in her tone.

"No."

"But I thought… Wait a minute. Tell me you didn't lose it to the scumbag that cheated on you." Angela sounded positively pissed at the thought.

"No, it wasn't Dillon. It was… someone else."

"Was it Jacob?" Angela probed gently.

"Yeah," I admitted reluctantly.

"Okay, I want you to tell me exactly what you two did."

"Angela!" I gasped in mortification. I couldn't believe she wanted me to give her a blow by blow of my first time.

"What? I'm going to have to figure out what you know if I'm to give you proper advice," Angela explained logically, and I let out a pitiful groan before I disclosed the details of my lone sexual encounter. When I was finished, Angela queried, "So that's it? He didn't warm up the car at all before hopping into the driver seat?"

I was able to gleam the gist of what she was talking about. "I don't think he knew about that stuff, Angela. It was his first time too," I murmured in Jacob's defense. It might not have been the best sex ever, but it wasn't horrible either.

"Well, first things first. If you're sure about tonight then you have to be prepared. Do you have any condoms?" Angela probed in businesslike tone of voice.

I didn't think of that. The only condoms I had were the ones from Ryan and they were thousands of miles away, lying in my dresser drawer. "No, I don't-"

"Do you think Taylor would have any?" Angela pressed.

I was pretty sure that Taylor wasn't expecting sex on this trip. "I don't think so, but I'm on the pill."

"Well, that's better than nothing, I suppose. Now in regards to foreplay, don't let him rush right to the sex part. Spend some time kissing and touching each other. Just do what feels right," Angela lectured.

By this point, I was curled up in a shameful ball on my bed. "Okay."

A soft knock came over the line and I heard someone say, _Open up! I gotta go!_

Angela asked me to hold on before shouting back, _Ocupado! Use the bathroom next door!_

"Now, let's talk lubrication."

_Oh God! "_I think that part's pretty self explanatory, Angela."I spoke quickly attempting to head her off at the pass.

"Oh, all right." Angela sounded a tad disappointed that she wouldn't get to explain that part. "I have a question for you, Bella." Angela's voice lowered to conspiratory tone that immediately put me on edge.

"What is it?" I asked hesitantly.

"Just how kinky are you two planning to get tonight?"

_What?_ "Kinky? I don't understand."

"Taylor strikes me as the type to experiment. So, I'm really asking if you would be okay if he… you know… brought out a few toys to use on you."

My cheeks began to burn. "Toys? What the hell…?"

"Damn, I wish I had my computer so I could email you pictures of the stuff I'm talking about," Angela mumbled to herself before forging on. "I'm asking what you would do if Taylor were to knock on your backdoor."

"Backdoor? My room doesn't have a backdoor. What are you talking…?" My voice trailed off as I began to realize what she was talking about. I gasped and jerked into sitting position as an inebriated giggle came over the line. Lubrication, kinky sex toys and backdoor discussions, I was beginning to suspect that my friend was drunk off her ass. "Angela, are you drunk?" I hissed into the phone.

"Okay, maybe a little." Angela admitted when her giggle fit ended. "Forget most of what I said, Bella, just do what feels right and don't let anyone take your butt cherry if you wanna hold on to it." She advised with a slight slur and I concluded that Angela was _so_ gone.

A knock sounded at my door and I knew that Taylor was on the other side of it. "Angela, I have to go. Taylor's here," I whispered in a rush.

Before hanging up, Angela whispered back. "I want details."

After checking my flustered reflection for the final time, I opened the door to see Taylor standing in the hall. In the time we were apart, he'd removed his jacket, shirt and shoes, remaining in his pants only. My face flamed when Taylor eyes darkened, finally noticing that I was braless under my tank top.

With Taylor trailing behind me, I entered his room to discover that he'd been busy. The gas logs in his fireplace had been lit, distributing light and even heat throughout the room. Blankets and pillows were laid out on the floor, in front of the fireplace.

I crossed the room to stand by the fireplace while Taylor made his way toward the bottle of wine he had chilling in a bucket of ice on his bureau. His body was all sinewy grace as he came toward me with the controlled movements of an animal. I extended my hand, accepting the glass of wine he offered.

"Could it be your plan to get me drunk before taking advantage of me?" I teased while peering up at him from beneath my lashes.

Taylor's eyes were filled with wicked secrets as he observed me with an intensity that made my pulse race. "Drunk? No, I want all of your senses sharp for what I have planned tonight." Taylor's lips curled into a dangerous smile as his hands reached out to caress the bare flesh of my neck with his fingertips.

Taylor grasped my free hand then led me over to the blankets where he drew me down to sit beside him. I chose to sit while Taylor lounged on his side with his head propped up by his hand, regarding me with a curious expression on his face.

"I want to know you." That wasn't among the list of things I expected him to say.

"I thought you already did," I supplied, absentmindedly running my fingertips across his arm.

Taylor shook his head. "I know who you are now. But I'm curious about who you used to be and what your life was like back in Forks."

My fingers halted in their movement and Taylor grasped my hand when I moved to pull away.

"I know that there are things in your past that you would prefer to keep to yourself and I'm telling you that it's okay. Everybody has their demons." A shadow flittered across his face as he said the last part. "You think that you're damaged goods and you're afraid that if you tell me your secrets, it'll somehow change the way I see you. But I can promise you that that'll never happen. I just… I really need you to trust me."

The desire to unburden myself was so strong that, for a moment, I actually considered telling Taylor everything about my old life. It would've been so nice to have someone to confide in, someone else to help me carry my secrets. But I just couldn't do it. I owed the Cullens and the pack so much for saving my life. I would try to repay that debt with my silence.

"I… I'm sorry, Taylor. Please don't think it's because I don't trust you because I do. I just can't tell you." Once again, I tried to pull my hand out of his grip and this time, he let me.

The night was officially ruined. _Great, just great_. Who would've thought that, despite their absence in my life, both Edward and Jacob would still have the power to cockblock me. My embarrassing, weird-ass phone call to Angela was all for nothing.

I risked a hesitant glance in Taylor's direction. His eyes were fixed on the fire, features slightly hardened as he silently mulled something over in his mind. Did he want me to leave?

"Just answer me one thing." Taylor's voice stopped me when I moved to get up.

"Okay." My hands clenched in my lap, hoping that he would ask something that I could answer honestly.

"These secrets you're keeping, are they secrets about you?" Taylor asked with a vague tone in his voice.

"No, they're not my secrets." The secrets were about the existence of creatures with fangs and fur that liked to drink blood and live forever. Sure, those things used to be a part of my life but not anymore. I was now able to figure out where I began and the supernatural ended. When it came right down to it, I was no longer the vampire or wolf girl. I was just… me.

"Okay then," Taylor sighed as if the entire matter had been settled.

"So you're letting it go? Just like that?" I asked with my eyebrows raised in disbelief. I was expecting him to get mad and try to guilt me into telling him. Maybe even attempt to back me into a corner with an ultimatum. But I should have known that just wasn't his style.

"Why not? You said that they're someone else's secrets. I would never ask you to betray someone else's confidence," Taylor reasoned.

My body sagged in relief, grateful that Taylor always knew when and when not to push me.

Despite my gratitude, I decided to turn the tables on him. "Well, what about you? Trust goes both ways, you know."

"What do you mean?" Almost immediately, Taylor's expression changed from acceptance to wariness. The muscles in his chest and arms tensed as he slowly sat up, searching my face for answers.

This was it, the moment that could make or break our night. I drew in a deep, fortifying breath. "I know you're not an ordinary guy, Taylor." There, I said it.

I licked my lips nervously, watching as Taylor brows drew together, fear slowly creeping into his eyes. My heart sank in disappointment when I realized that he wasn't ready to tell me.

Naturally, my first response was to soothe him. "Don't worry, I haven't figured it all out." _Yet_, I added silently. "At first, I wasn't sure. All these odd things kept happening. The morning after our drunken night at the lake house. That time when you were meditating by the lake. And then the cliff accident happened and I knew that there was just no way that we could survive that kind of fall with only minor injuries." I conveniently left out my little eavesdropping episode.

The silence was thick as I gazed at Taylor, silently hoping that he wouldn't lie and tell me that I was wrong, that I was just imagining things.

Once more Taylor turned his gaze toward to fire. "As a child, I was taught that secrecy was essential to our survival, the survival of my family. My great-grandmother always said that the people would prefer to destroy something that was different instead of trying to understand it. Do you get what I'm trying to say?"

Oh, I understood all right. "That you can't tell me the truth because you don't trust me."

Taylor rushed to reassure me. "No, that's not it all. I do trust you. You have to understand. Before you, I never wanted to tell anyone, I didn't dare. I want to tell you everything and I will. I promise. You just have to give me a little time to get used to… sharing. Okay?"

I paused for a beat before finally agreeing. "Okay." Despite the fact that Taylor was still keeping secrets about himself from me, he'd made me a promise. A promise to tell me the truth and I had no doubt that he would, someday soon. I could and would wait until he was ready. It was the least I could do. After all, he'd been so understanding about my own secrets.

When Taylor's gaze turned intense, my bottom lip fell victim to the nervous nibbling of my teeth.

"I'd like to try something tonight."

"What?"

"Just a little something to help you relax," Taylor supplied with a mysterious glint in his eyes.

_Hmm, sounds intriguing_. "Okay."

My eyes followed Taylor's ascent as he stood up and I accepted his hand, allowing him to also pull me to my feet. Taylor then surprised me by suddenly kneeling down in front of me. On his way down, Taylor permitted his hands to trail along the length of my arms, creating goose bumps wherever his fingertips traveled.

Taylor's eyes shifted slightly downward and away from my face. I noticed what he was staring at and promptly turned the color of eggplant. My breasts or more specifically, my nipples had gathered into hard points, printing out against the thin material of my tank top.

_Damn it!_ Now, I knew how men felt whenever they developed an unprovoked erection.

Under his heated gaze my entire body felt hot enough to burst into flames. Turning his attention toward my shorts, Taylor hooked his fingers under the elastic then drew them down. I was relieved that he'd used his hands this time. If he'd used his teeth like last time, I probably would've done something completely mortifying like faint away on the spot.

I heard the sharp intake of breath and held back a smirk of satisfaction. My flimsy black panties clearly had the desired effect as Taylor groaned, "I swear, Isabella. You'll be the death of me."

I bit my lip when he kissed the exposed flesh right above my panties. His tongue darted out, swirling on the sensitive flesh of my lower abdomen.

Taylor stood up and placed his hands on my shoulders, turning me around until my back faced his chest. The deep quality of his voice sent a shiver through me as he suggested, "Tonight's lesson will be about trust."

I blinked. "Lessons?"

"Yes. The first of many that I'll teach you." His words send a wave of excitement through my body, and yet with it, came relief. Taylor wasn't expecting me to be skilled in the arts of the Kama Sutra. He was willing to teach me and I couldn't explain what a comfort that was.

"But I already trust you. What else do you want?" I asked with breathlessness I knew he could detect.

"Want?" Taylor chuckled darkly, hands toying with the edge of my tank top. "I'm a greedy man, Isabella. I want it all, but tonight I'll only allow myself to have a taste." At his bold declaration, I was barely able to still the trepidation that shot through me. It was beginning to look like we were entering dangerous territory here. Taylor the lover was quickly appearing to be much more demanding than Taylor the friend.

Could I do it? Was I up to the task of handling all the demands that this man would surely put on me? I was damn well willing to try. We'd crossed too many lines to turn back to our previous non-groping relationship.

With the decision made, I felt some of the tension leave my body. Taylor must have sensed the shift in my mood before he murmured into my ear, "Lift your arms."

After I complied, Taylor grasped the bottom of my tank top, pulling it up and over my head. It dropped to the floor in a heap. Now naked, except for my little black panties, I felt brave and sexy all at the same time.

With a delicate touch, Taylor caressed the back of my neck. "Now, I want you to lie on your stomach."

As I lowered myself amongst the pillows and blanket, Taylor moved away and walked to the dresser in search of something. Before settling on my stomach, I grabbed one of the pillows, tucking it beneath my chin for support.

I was alone for a few moments before Taylor returned with whatever he'd retrieved from his drawer. He knelt down beside me and I began to tense up again, wondering what he had planned.

"Just try to relax," Taylor said softly, and I rolled my eyes. _Easy for you to say, Spanish man. You're not the one lying here all exposed and vulnerable. I don't even know if you're about to shank me or knock on my backdoor._

There was the sound of a container being opened then his large hands landed on my shoulders, moving along my back in long soothing strokes. I noticed the way his hand seemed to glide easily across my skin and gathered that he was using some sort of massage oil. The lavender scent that followed appeared to validate my suspicions.

Taylor's talented fingers drifted across my back, kneading my muscles in rhythmic circles. Gradually, my body began to relax, melting under his tender administrations.

_Oh wow, is this foreplay?_ I wondered, mind dazed and body rapidly dissolving into a melted pile of butter. At first, I was thoroughly enjoying the massage. That was until I began to wonder if he'd used the same oil on Brooke when they were going out.

"You're starting to tense up again; what's wrong?" His long, deft fingers located a knot beneath my shoulders and began to work on it until my eyes crossed behind my closed lids.

"The oil… how long have you had it?" In other words, how many other women have you rubbed down with it?

"I brought it this morning while you and Liz were at Susan's studio. Ryan went with me." His hands shifted downward to my legs then he began to work his magic there.

"Ryan? Did he see when you bought the oil?" Ryan's mouth was even bigger than Liz's. If he saw when Taylor bought the oil, then he might put two and two together.

"No, he was too busy checking out vibrators and… _lubricants_." Discomfort was evident in Taylor's voice as he said the last part.

A weird thought occurred to me and I asked, "Who do you think they're for?"

"I don't know. I'm not even sure if I want them to be for Liz or not," Taylor admitted reluctantly.

_Poor thing_, my mind sighed as he began to concentrate on the back of my thigh with light strokes, moving down to my ankles then back up again. Each time, his hands came dangerously close to touching me between my legs. My body grew hotter and hungrier with every squeeze and caress of my legs, and I found myself wanting to have the full body massage experience.

"Have you ever given a massage before?" I queried, seeking to distract myself.

"Actually, this is my first time." Taylor's voice sounded strained.

_Hmm, a virgin_. "So how do you know where I like to be touched?"

_I could think of a few more places that would like to be touched._

"By listening to your body. It lets me know what you-"

Taylor sucked in a breath when his hand missed its mark and brushed against my panties, sending spirals of electricity coiling throughout my body. A blush crept up my neck when I realized that Taylor's massage made me soak through my underwear. His reaction must have come from feeling it when his hand made contact with my panties.

I recognized why Taylor chose to let me leave on my underwear. We were building trust between us, with me learning how to feel comfortable being naked around him.

Taylor still hadn't moved and I was beginning to panic. What should I say?

I wasn't by any means embarrassed. My physical reaction was completely normal. What woman in her right mind wouldn't be turned on from getting a massage by her very own sexy, Spanish cabaña boy?

Taylor still hadn't seen my breasts yet. I decided to be proactive and make the first move. _Taylor and his teasing massage_. Well, I was about to turn the tables on him.

"You say that you can read my body? Well, what's it saying now?" I asked. A bit surprised to discover that that sultry sounding voice belonged to me. There was no turning back now. Summoning every last bit of courage, I pushed myself up on my forearms before flipping over to lie on my back.

The look of awe on Taylor's face as I lay there, staring up at him with my nipples puckering shamelessly for him to see, filled me with a sense of feminine power. I'd actually managed to render Taylor speechless. Not an amazing feat, considering that Taylor had never been a talkative man to begin with.

My lips curled into a seductive smile as I caught his look, slumberous and heavy lidded. His eyes drifted downward, locking on my mouth as he leaned down and like I magnet I was drawn to him. Our lips met halfway, teasing at first until Taylor covered my mouth with a groan. His tongue speared into the confines of my mouth with a voraciousness that took me by surprise.

I dug my fingers into his silky, black locks, tugging him down in an attempt to draw him closer. Without removing his lips from mine, Taylor slipped a leg between my own, straddling mine in return. It was almost as if he didn't trust himself to settle down between my thighs.

He pressed me back onto the blankets, his fingers leaving a trail of fire as his hand crept up my ribcage to cup the swell of my breast. An unstoppable wave of arousal swept through me when he began to tease one pointed nipple.

Taylor pulled away and I opened my eyes to stare up at his face. Long, thick eyelashes framed his darkened green eyes as they watched me closely. I gazed at his firm, sensuous lips, the strong, lean lines of his face and experienced a turbulent cauldron of emotion that caused my heart to stutter.

He leaned in, lightly grazing my lips before gently grabbing a fistful of my hair, pulling it back slightly until my neck was exposed to him. His thumb brushed my nipple around the same time that he pressed his mouth on the throbbing pulse of my neck, drawing a moan of pleasure out of me.

There was a brief pause before Taylor parted his lips, sucking, licking and biting at a spot on my neck that seemed to fascinate him so. I arched my back, further pressing my breast into his hand. I dragged my fingernails down hard on his chest, feeling the firm, rippling muscles beneath them. He would have marks the following day; I looked forward to seeing them.

Bit by bit, my hand crept down until it met the hard swell at his erection. Taylor let out a hiss when my fingers wrapped around his bulge. But before I could anything else, he grabbed both my hands, restraining my wrists at opposite sides of my head.

"That isn't part of tonight's lesson. If you're not a good girl, then I'll have to punish you. Do you understand?" Taylor's voice was hot, suggestive.

_Oh God!_ His words made me faint with excitement. Damn him and his lesson plans. I was tempted to push him, see what he would do to get me back in line. My big mouth was in the process of coming up with a smartass remark before I forced the words back down my throat. I wasn't sure how freaky Taylor was. Was he _use the feather_ freaky or _use the whole damn chicken_ freaky? Until I knew for sure, pushing him wouldn't be wise.

I offered a nod in reply. I would let him maintain control… for now.

Taylor, evidently satisfied with my response, decided to reward me for my obedience. Releasing my wrists, he spread my trembling legs wider before slipping between them. He leaned in and began to press hard kisses against my throat, working his way downward. He raised his head slightly, peering at me through narrowed eyes. His lips curled into a dangerous smile before they latched on to my nipple, sucking and nibbling.

I cried out helpless to fight against the onslaught of pleasurable sensations as his tongue rasped my nipple. One of his hands grasped my otherwise unengaged breast, kneading and massaging. Vaguely, I wondered where his other hand was. The question was answered when I felt his hand between my legs, moving in a circular motion against my panties. I gasped, a broken sound, wantonly spreading my legs wider in a silent invitation.

A light sheen of sweat covered my body as a new sensation began to well up inside of me, searing me from the inside out. My body tensed, toes curled, nearing the edge of a precipice but unable to fall into it. I sensed rather than felt movement before hot breath washed over the side of my face then Taylor's wickedly sinful voice echoed in my ear. "You have a beautiful voice, Isabella. Open up your mouth and sing for me."

Those erotic words were enough to push me over the edge and I found myself moaning and thrashing uncontrollably. My mind reeled from the bewildering orgy of sensations coursing over my body. Hard shudders shook me, spasms unlike anything I'd ever felt before tore through my consciousness.

I collapsed into a panting, boneless heap on the blankets while Taylor murmured soothing Spanish words in my ear. When I finally opened my eyes again, Taylor was gazing down at me with a tender look in his eyes. But that wasn't all. When I said he was looking at me, I meant really looking. His eyes searched my face like he was attempting to memorize every curve, every pore, and every eyelash.

_Why does he look at me like that?_

He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my mouth before groaning, "I'll be right back."

And with that, he stood up then made his way into the bathroom adjoining his room.

_Hey! Where is he going? Shouldn't there be cuddling now?_

When Taylor Reed got back, I planned to give him a piece of my mind. _You don't just get up and leave at a time like this. It bruises the ego!_

It wasn't until I heard a faint groan coming from the bathroom that it finally dawn on me what Taylor had dashed off to do.

_Oh God!_ Maybe I should try to help. But the very thought of knocking on the door asking, _hey, Taylor, need help getting off? _was enough to have me burying my red face in the blankets. I was fresh out of brave acts for the rest of the night.

My body had been reduced to a quivering mass of liquefied hormones. Lethargy made it difficult for me to move, let alone help the guy out. Maybe Taylor could turn that into another lesson. I found myself blushing once again at the mere thought of Taylor _directing_ me.

My mind then turned to thoughts of what to say to him when he came back. Should I say _thank you_? After a moment of contemplation, I decided against it, thinking something like that could cheapen the moment.

_Wow, so that's an orgasm_, I sighed happily in remembrance. I would never understand people who were addicted to drugs. Who would choose to get themselves hooked on an expensive drug when there were orgasms to be had for free? I didn't think there was a higher high than the one I was still feeling.

Not knowing what else to do, I enshrouded myself beneath the blankets and pretended to be asleep. Several moments later, I heard the bathroom door reopen, signaling Taylor's return. Then he began to tug at the blankets. "Come on, Isabella. I know you're not sleeping."

When I remained silent, determined to continue with my facade, the tugging evolved into poking. Taylor's antics broke my resolve and I squirmed, rolling over with a giggle. My heart began to race as I caught the heated look on his face.

Through narrowed eyes, he watched me, lightly trailing his finger across my neck. "That was your first lesson."

I cocked an eyebrow. "A lesson in what?"

"Your first lesson in being my woman." His green eyes were significantly darker, his expression was filled with lust and wicked intent. His words sent a fresh wave of arousal rushing through my body. He'd made me speechless. _What does one say to something like that?_

After placing a soft kiss on my lips, Taylor slipped an arm around me, gathering me close to him. Lying there, feeling the warmth and smoothness of his skin against my own, he made me feel desired, cherished and most importantly, safe.

"Goodnight."

I heard the teasing smile in his voice and grumbled, "Oh, shut up."

A day later, it was time to return home. Royce, Walter and Susan gathered in the foyer to say goodbye to us. Monica was absent, and yet no one was heartbroken by her none appearance. Following an awkward handshake between Taylor and his dad, Susan and I shrugged our shoulders in unison as we exchanged glances. True, it wasn't exactly a Hallmark moment but it was a step in the right direction.

On the plane ride back to New Hampshire, I was both excited and relieved to be going back home. That threatening phone call was the last I'd heard from Leah, and I was anxious for any information about how Zach's visit turned out. What news, if any, would Zach have for me of the place I once called home?

* * *

**AN:** Okay so I bugged my beta and she delivered this to me before she went off on her vacation (lucky heifer) and here it is.

Just to give you guys a time check. Bella is in her **junior** year and about to start her winter semester of college. Her **senior** year will **not** be written about as during this time Bella will undergo her final changes. Her senior year will be a mystery to be solved after Bella's return to Forks. I feel sorry for her because she'll go through hell during this mystery year. Don't get too excited though, as there are still somethings that have to happen (for eg, Taylor revelations and some Leah & Zach stuff). But I will definitely try to move it along because I'm getting excited too.

**Back to the story**: What do you think of Angela, the sex guru?

Taylor promised to tell Bella his secret... Somehow, I don't think he'll get that chance.

Do you think Bella made the right decision by keeping the secrets of the Cullens and the Pack from Taylor?

What do you think of Taylor's first lesson? I'm so jealous of Bella right now.

What news will Zach's visit bring? Good or bad.

**AN:** Hey just want to remind you guys to check to make sure your **PM** option is **enabled** so I could send you your teasers. Just realized that FF had mine disabled for some reason.

**Review and get your sneak peek people!**


	51. Where's my pussy cat?

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 51

Leah's POV

Waves of fear radiated off the pup as I chased him through the snow coated forest. He knew he'd fucked up… badly. He'd only been phasing for a couple of months now. What on earth had the pup been smoking when he started thinking that he could defeat me? Oh and not just thinking to himself, no. The pup had the audacity to deliberately think it while we were all mentally linked. The little punk wanted me to hear it!

We were in the middle of a meeting in the woods, discussing patrolling and training schedules when the pup practically called me out in front of the entire pack. The entire pack's mind went silent for a few seconds before they began to back away from us. My inner wolf howled at me to protect my position in the pack's hierarchy. The younger pups cowered in fear at my rage, while the older wolves began to place bets on now many of his bones I would break. Jacob, ever watchful over his pack, stood off to the side. His wary stance declaring that he would only intervene if the pup was in any immediate danger.

Well, I handed him his ass, but instead of him admitting defeat, he ran.

_Big mistake. _

You never ran from a fight, one of the first lessons I taught to the new wolves. We were werewolves not sparkly-ass vampires. And that was how I ended up chasing the pup through the damn forest in the dead of winter.

The others took off after us, not contented to view the upcoming beat down through the mental link. They all wanted to be there in the flesh. I paced myself, digging my claws into the snow, gaining on him without even trying.

I wasn't pissed because the pup thought he could challenge me. Pack members challenged each other all the time, for rank or sometimes even fun. The fact that he thought he could beat me simply because of my gender, now that _really_ pissed me off.

_Oh shit. He pissed her off. She's out for blood now_, Seth the Einstein pointed out.

_Run bitch! Run!_ This came from Quil, the newly crowned asshole of La Push, as he taunted the pup that had been unfortunate to think that his balls were bigger than mine.

_Hey!_ Quil protested the asshole comment, but it wasn't like it wasn't true.

Paul had been dethroned in that department the very second Rachel dropped her panties for him. Of course, he hadn't been completely neutered. He still had the capacity to act like a butt plug from time to time… but that was only when Rachel wasn't around. When she was around though, it was _see ya later, testicles!_

_Whatever. I'm still a badass and you know it_, Paul snorted.

_Shh! Not so loud. Rachel might hear_. Jared added to Paul's ridicules.

Laughter rippled through the pack mind, and yet I was no mood for humor. I'd been in a shitty mood ever since my _error_ a few weeks back. The best course of action would be for me to end this quickly. The longer this chase dragged on, the larger a danger I became, with the wolf inside of me howling for blood. This thought had Jacob giving off waves of caution.

Redoubling my efforts, I increased my speed to catch up to the pup. A low, grating snarl was his only warning before I used my body weight to slam into him. My momentum sent him crashing headfirst into a boulder. He went down, crumbling like clay and I lunged at him, biting and clawing. He was much too young to be throwing down challenges and therefore no match for me. The irrepressible need for violence rose steadily inside me like an unstoppable wave, and I gave into the urge to plant a vicious bite on his shoulder. The coppery taste of blood flooded my mouth and my inner wolf snarled victoriously.

_Enough_. That one word was sufficient to stop me, and I froze, my limbs immediately locking up. Jacob didn't even need to issue a command. The alpha's power was absolute and unquestionable.

_See to your wounds, #14. And get some more experience before you even think about challenging me again_. I backed away from the fallen pup, struggling to keep the still snarling wolf under control.

Rather than be bothered with the different names of the recruits, I'd given them all numbers instead. It was easier.

_Michael._ He lay on his side, his ribcage heaved with each breath, sending white puffs into the air.

_What?_

_I said my name is Michael,_ the pup groaned, obviously still in pain. I was slightly impressed that he still had the strength to mouth off. This one had shown some promise in previous training sessions before he went and got all cocky.

_Whoa, maybe you should let the hair on your balls grow back before you piss Leah off again,_ Embry warned as he emerged from the trees with the senior wolves that had finally caught up to us. The young wolves instinctively followed behind, jostling and playfully nipping at each other, like the pups they were.

_When you do something worth remembering, #14, maybe then I'll try to remember your name._ My lips stretch into a feral grin. I turned to Jacob, silently asking if I could go now. I wasn't in the mood to deal any more bullshit.

_Meeting adjourned_. Jacob answered with a brisk nod, and I headed back toward the reservation.

I wanted to phase back so that I could have my mind to myself again, but the distance to the reservation was too far to walk. It sucked balls having a bunch of numb nuts be privy to my most private thoughts. In the end, I maintained a steady trot back to the res while keeping my mind occupied with trivial shit. If I wasn't careful start thinking about Zach once more, and Sam would get his panties in a bunch… again. God knows he was already riled up about my latest indiscretion.

Over the past two years, our numbers had increased. Up until that fight with the newborn leeches, there were ten of us. Now we had a total of twenty-six wolves in the pack. The elders speculated that with the increase of the vampire population worldwide, the tribe would need its protectors now more than ever. They were beginning to think that wolves would always be needed. And being a werewolf or having a werewolf relative would quickly become a way of life for the people of La Push.

I was assigned the job of training the pack's newest recruits. It was a no brainer really. Because of my slender frame, I was the fastest, and I wasn't ashamed to admit that I was also the smartest. Although, when it came to fighting, Jacob and Sam were the only ones better than me. Jacob thought that it would be a good way for me to work through my rage, while getting to crack a few skulls, in addition to teaching fighting skills to new wolves in the process.

For us, the senior wolves, being a werewolf was something that we'd been drafted into. But the younger wolves reveled in the strength, speed and the body that came along with the wolf. They were excited to chase vampires, and thought of themselves as real life super heroes, go figure.

Finally, I arrived at the edge of the forest, behind my house and phased back. Barefoot, I crossed the backyard and let myself into the house. The door was unlocked, as usual. Who would be crazy enough to try and rob me? Hell, I managed to scare grown men in my human form alone.

With a comfortable sigh, I looked around my house. _My sanctuary_. And it would remain mine until Seth the day decided that he'd had enough of living at Charlie's house, and wanted a slice of my piece of heaven.

As I helped myself to a sandwich or five, I wondered when Mom would put an end to the shacking up and make it legal with Charlie. He was a nice enough guy who took his job and the safety of others seriously. He made my mom happy and looked after Seth without appearing like he was trying to replace my dad. Charlie even surprised me by showing up at my house one day to install additional locks on the doors, awkwardly explaining that he was worried about me living by myself.

After taking a bath, I threw on a T-shirt and some shorts, before settling in to watch some TV. Yet even that wasn't enough to distract me from the gigantic mistake I'd made two weeks ago. It was loneliness that drove me to accept a date with Tony, a guy in my Marketing class. Tony wasn't a bad looking guy, and he was clearly attracted to me. He'd even asked me out a few times, but I'd always turned him down.

Of late I'd been questioning my intense attraction to Zach. Why did I find him so interesting? What was it about him? Maybe my feelings were a fluke, and the only reason I was so infatuated with Zach was because he'd been the first guy I'd slept with since Sam. Maybe all those annoying feelings for Zach had been the result of me needing to get laid. I had to be sure that it wasn't just my hormones talking. So the next time Tony asked me out, I said yes.

And what a mistake that was. Dinner would've gone a lot better if the wolf hadn't been irritated by the amount of product Tony had in his hair. Whenever he came too close, I had to fight to keep the wolf from biting the guy. It felt like I had a split personality disorder. My human side was hell bent on getting laid, but the wolf did not want to be touched by Tony. Following a ridiculously awkward sexually encounter, I came to the conclusion that Tony wasn't the problem, it was me, or more specifically, the wolf. Even more annoying, I actually felt guilty for sleeping with Tony, like I'd cheated on Zach or something.

The human part of me liked Tony, but the wolf was picky. While I was just looking for a good time, the wolf was looking for a mate. That was where my problem began. The wolf was becoming a little too attached to Zach, and it confused the hell out of me. I'd made it clear to Zach that I wasn't on the market for a long distance relationship, but he was being a persistent little bastard.

No matter how many times I tried to explain why a relationship between us would never work, Zach refused to give up. He didn't care about the distance we lived from each other, saying that we could always visit one another. Of course, it didn't help that I dreamed about him all the time. And of late, I'd actually caught myself missing the loser, although we talked on the phone almost every night. Between my classes and the pack, I could honestly say that talking to Zach on the phone was the best part of my day. But the problem of how to go about telling Zach that I was an infertile werewolf, kept me up at night. Even though he knew about the existence of vampires, werewolves might end up being a little too much for Zach to swallow.

And before I could even begin to entertain the thought of telling Zach the truth, I would have to get permission from Jacob and the elders. That was just one of the rules created by our Alpha. Before bringing a mate into the pack, they would first have to be introduced and then the elders would be allowed to vote on it. Those were some of the rules Jacob put in place to protect the pack.

All of my worries might have been for nothing anyway. The last time Zach called was Christmas Day and that was days ago. I hadn't heard from him since then, but it wasn't like I cared or anything. It was just that he told me about his going to visit his sister on the Makah Reservation, and I thought that Zach might have wanted to make plans to meet up. Whatever. It wasn't like we were a couple or anything. Relationships only got complicated when someone began to care. And I didn't.

_Damn it_, I thought, lifting the remote to flip through stations in irritation. I was doing it again, thinking about Zach. Why couldn't I get the big perv out of my mind?

_Maybe it's because he's the first guy that didn't make me feel like damaged goods_. For reasons I didn't understand, Zach liked me. The angrier, meaner and more sarcastic I got, it only seemed to turn him on. It was just plain weird.

With a resigned sigh I turned my attention toward _Judge Judy,_ and soon enough, found myself completely entertained. I loved the way that old croon terrorized the people in her courtroom. Being tough was the only way a woman got any respect in this world, and _Judge Judy_ was one of the toughest.

My mind dimly registered the sound of a car pulling up near the house. The car door slammed shut, and then snow crunched beneath the car's tires as it drove away. I shrugged my shoulders and went back to my show, assuming that the neighbors had a visitor or something. I wasn't expecting any company.

A knock sounded at my door, making me uneasy.

Cautiously, I approached the front door sniffing the air that surrounded it. The scent was oddly familiar and the wolf began to get excited. I pushed those feelings aside and opened the door to a hell of a surprise.

Zachary Grey stood on my doorstep with a suitcase in one hand and a crate in the other. My body shook slightly, as I struggled to keep from throwing myself into his arms, like the wolf wanted me to. His hazel eyes lit up with mischievousness, lips curling into a heart stopping smile. Before I could do or say anything, he stepped over the threshold, wrapped his arms around me before dropping a kiss on my partially opened mouth.

"Honey, I'm home!" Zach announced around his huge grin.

_Bella Swan, when I see you again, I'm going to kick your ass.

* * *

_

"And that's when Taylor and Ryan walked in and caught me with my hand on Izzy's tits. You should have seen Taylor's face. Dude looked like he wanted to break my hand," Zach laughed as he moved around my kitchen, effortlessly finding ingredients like he'd been there thousands of times before.

After I'd been accused of hovering, I planted myself at the kitchen table, watching as Zach Grey cooked me dinner.

_Yes, I said cook!_

He insisted on making us something to celebrate his first night in La Push. I was appreciative of his initiative because I couldn't cook worth a damn. I was mostly dependent on takeout and my mom for my meals. Silently, I thanked my mom for keeping the cupboards stocked in the vain hope that I might one day attempt to cook.

"I'm shocked that you can cook. I'm guessing your sister Elise taught you?" I poured myself another glass of the cheap wine that he'd picked up on his way over here, and then settled back in my chair to watch the show.

Damn him for looking just as sexy as I remembered. His broad shoulders were covered by a blue T-shirt that molded to all the contours of his muscular chest. Dark jeans drew attention to his powerful legs and firm ass. He even got extra points for having a gorgeous, thick head of hair that brushed the collar of his T-shirt. Zach was leaner than and not quite as large as Taylor or Ryan, but that didn't make him any less impressive.

"Yeah. When I was growing up, she always said _I'm not your slave. Make it your damn self_." He looked up from the chopping board with a disarming smile. "But don't tell Izzy I can cook, all right?"

"Why not?"

"Because then she won't feed me anymore. And if she stops making those incredible cupcakes of hers, I'll have to find something else to nibble on." He flashed me dark, smoldering look that sent white hot lust tearing through my body.

I was familiar with that look and remembered where I'd seen it for the first time. It was the same simmering look he gave me when I danced around naked, letting Suzie Q slither all over my body. I still don't know what possessed me to do that. It was the most spontaneous thing I'd ever done in my life.

Almost as if he could tell what I was thinking, Zach's lips curled into a devious smile. His tempting smile drew my focus to his mouth, and I felt myself getting turned on at just the remembrance of what that mouth could do. The man definitely knew how to please. I had to give him that much.

If Zach's presence in my home was already making me this crazy, how the hell was I going to survive the next couple of days without mauling him? Zachary Grey was as addicting as heroin, and I was like a junkie, just aching for my next fix.

I tore my gaze away from the bronzed Adonis, directing it toward my wine glass and took a long sip. Sleeping with Zach was a onetime thing. I didn't need or want a boyfriend. My life was complicated enough and boyfriends, by their very definition, were a complication.

Since Zach went through the trouble of coming all the way to La Push, I would give him a place to stay, but that was it.

_Nope, no more sex for me. I'm keeping my legs closed and my panties on._

As it turned out, Zach wasn't a half bad cook. His pasta carbonara didn't have me rushing for the Pepto-Bismol. While we ate, Zach talked about his family and school a little. However, Taylor and Bella were our main topic of choice. It seemed that ever since Bella grew a brain and dumped the fraternity moron, she'd been spending a lot of time with Taylor. We were both speculating about what it could all mean. Would Bella finally, to quote Zach, _give up the pussy so we could all move on?_

When dinner ended, I showed Zach to his room, or more specifically, to Seth's room. He propped himself on the door frame, and quirked a dark eyebrow at me expectantly. "So you're not coming to tuck me in?" _Uh-Oh_. Zach the man-whore had finally made his appearance.

"Do not flirt with me, Zach. What happened up at the lake house was a onetime thing." As I spoke, Zach pushed himself off the wall and slowly stalked over in my direction, looking like sex on legs. For every step he took forward, I took one backward until the wall came up behind me, blocking my escape.

"I'm not… having sex with… you again." Zach's hazel eyes darkened with knowledge at the breathless in my voice. The bastard noticed how hard I'd been trying to maintain some distance between us all night.

I swallowed hard, watching Zach cautiously as he moved nearer, until he was close enough to touch. His close proximity caused my nerve endings to tingle with awareness. The spicy scent of his arousal was all male as he ground his hard-on against my pelvis.

"Are you sure about that, Lee?" The deep, seductive quality of his voice made my nipples tighten in response. Sweet Jesus, the man could charm the pants off the devil himself.

I fisted my hands, creating small crescent shaped wounds with my nails. With all my might, I labored against the wolf's demands that I sink my teeth into and claim the man before me.

Sensing my inner turmoil, Zach leaned in and whispered against my lips. "You don't have to have sex with me, Lee. I'll have sex with you. How does that sound?" Everything about Zach oozed lust and inspired fantasies. How could I resist? Hell, why should I even try?

With a strangled whimper, I gave up the fight and threw myself into his arms, crashing my lips to his. After stumbling back into Seth's room, Zach snaked a hand between our bodies and whipped my T-shirt over my head. We had barely made it to the bed before I practically ripped his T-shirt off. In my eagerness, I reached down and fastened my grip on the waist band of his jeans. Zach's zipper got stuck on the first tug. I tried again, but ended up pulling so hard that the zipper was permanently ruined. Those pants would never zip up or down again.

There was nothing gentle about our coming together. It was the rough, frenzied pounding of a longtime separated couple. We didn't have time for foreplay or tender reassurances or any of that other shit. Although I had the advantage of werewolf genes, Zach gave as good as he got, releasing the pent up sexual frustration of five ex-cons.

"I can't feel my legs," Zach panted, his chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath. He closed his eyes in contented exhaustion, leaning back against the warm sheets. The gradually slowing rhythm of his heart drifted into my ear.

"It's your own fault, you know." I snuggled against him, carelessly flinging my leg over his hips. A light sheen of perspiration dampened his body, and I enjoyed the feel of his skin sliding against mine.

"My own fault for what, being irresistible?" He cracked an eye open.

I rolled my eyes, holding back my sarcastic reply. _Cocky bastard_.

Suddenly, Zach shot up on the verge of panic. "Shit, Leah! How could I be so stupid? We forgot to use a condom. Are you on the pill or something?"

"Calm down, I'm on the pill." I lied like a pro. It wasn't like I could get pregnant or contract an STD.

_Let's hear it for freakish wolf genes._

Zach relaxed visibly, lying back down on the bed. "You know. That was my first time without a condom."

"Yeah?" That was good to know.

"I've been wrapping it up ever since I was old enough to chase girls. My sister's favorite quote was _no glove, no love_. She always said she'd kill me if I ever knocked anyone up." It was nice knowing that I was the first person he's allowed himself to be reckless with.

"Don't worry about my pants. I was gonna throw it out anyway. And that growling thing you did was so fucking sexy." His hand slinked down to cup my ass and bring me even closer to him.

"You don't think it's weird?" I asked unsurely. A lot of men weren't into aggressive-type girls. Tony wasn't.

Zach let out a soft snort of amusement. "Weird? After living with Taylor, nothing looks weird to me anymore."

Something in his voice made me raise my head to look at his face. _What's_ _weird about living with Taylor?_ Just as I opened my mouth to ask this, we were interrupted by a horrified shout.

"Leah? What the fuck?" Our heads whipped toward the open doorway where Seth stood staring at us with saucers for eyes.

Zach swore under his breath, and quickly yanked the blanket over our naked bodies.

"Oh God! My eyes!" Seth dramatically threw an arm over his face, and stumbled back into the hallway.

I finally recovered from my stupor to scream, "Seth, get out! Go wait for me downstairs!"

"And in my bed too. Oh God." Seth staggered out of our sight with a sickened groan.

"Sorry about that." I sat up, running a hand over my face.

Zach stood up and walked around the bed, looking for his boxers. "That's nothing. Try having parents walk in while you're actually in the throes. Do you know how many windows I've had to climb out of?"

"You're such a slut." I could stop my answering grin.

"Yeah, but I'm your slut." Zach pulled me off the bed to nibble on my neck.

I felt him harden against my leg but just as I was about to cop a feel, we were interrupted again.

"Ahh!" Seth's loud scream echoed through the house.

Zach pulled away from me and swore. "Shit. Susie Q." He raced out of the room, leaving me to struggle into his T-shirt. Before we came upstairs, Zach had let Suzie Q out of her crate, leaving her curled up on the couch.

Downstairs, the scene was ridiculous.

Seth had Suzie Q cornered with a broom and Zach had thrown himself over the snake, creating a shield with his body.

A pale-faced Seth whirled around to face me. "What the hell, Leah? Who is this guy and why the _fuck_ is he protecting that snake?" His hands shook slightly and I let out an amused snort. The big, strong werewolf was afraid of snakes.

Well, now was as good a time as any to make introductions. "Seth, this is Zach. Zach, this _intruder_ here is my brother."

I was grateful that Seth was wearing a shirt. It would be difficult to explain why he's walking around shirtless during winter.

Seth frowned then his eyes lit up with mischief. "So this is the guy…" He didn't need to finish that sentence, having seen my memories of what happened at the lake house. Seth's expression quickly changed from amused to irritated. "And what do you mean intruder? This house is half mine, you know?"

After checking Suzie Q over for any injuries, Zach stood up, cradling the snake in his hands like a baby. His eyebrows furrowed together as he glared at Seth. "Dude, didn't anyone ever tell you to be kind to animals?"

"Sorry, man. Snakes creep me out." Seth held up his hands defensively.

_No shit._ Seth was the only werewolf in history to run into a tree because I told him there was a snake was in his fur. There wasn't.

Zach seemed slightly mollified by Seth's apology but he relaxed his stance, letting his anger slide away. That was one of the things I loved about Zach. He was never to type to hold a grudge, unlike me who seldom forgave and never forgot.

"What are you doing here anyway?"

"Can't a brother come by to hang out with his favorite sister?" Seth feigned innocence.

I wasn't fooled by his lame ass attempt at flattery. "I'm your only sister. What the hell do you want?"

"I wanted to borrow some money. Mom won't give me an advance on my allowance." I should've known the little punk wanted money.

Zach cut in with surprise written across his face. "Allowance? Dude, how old _are_ you?"

"Seventeen." A bemused Seth admitted.

"Seventeen? Damn! I thought you were twenty-five or something." Zach's eyebrows flew up into his hairline.

Seth didn't allow Zach to dwell on that topic. "So how long are you here for Zach?"

"Three days then I have to get back to Dartmouth."

"Well, I would shake your hand but I could only guess where it's been." Seth's lips twisted into a wry grin.

"That's it, get the hell out." I started shoving him toward the door.

Seth laughed and tossed a _nice meeting you, Zach_ over his shoulder. Zach nodded then disappeared into the kitchen to put Suzie Q back in her crate.

I opened the door but before I could toss Seth out, he grabbed my arm. "Zach's friends with Bella, isn't he?" Gone was the jokester from earlier. Seriousness now lined his features.

I knew what he was getting at. _Jacob's not going to like it._ Which reminded me, I needed to see him about getting someone else to do my patrols while Zach was here. I hoped he wouldn't give me a hard time about it.

"Hey, Seth. Could you get Jacob to swing by later? I have to talk to him."

"Sure." He stepped onto the porch, but he wasn't finished with me yet. "You know, Sam's gonna throw a bitch fit once he finds out." There was an anticipatory gleam in Seth's eyes. He was clearly looking forward to watching Sam squirm.

"Who gives a fuck?" I grumbled then slammed the door in his grinning face.

Zach sauntered back into the living room naked, sporting an impressive hard-on. "Now, how about we pick up where we left off?"

He let out a sexy growl and chased me up the stairs.

* * *

I awoke hours later, feeling like someone called my name. Blinking my eyes open, I sat up and looked toward Zach, who was sleeping soundly next to me. I cocked my head to the side and listened for the source of the sound.

After a few moments of silence, I heard it. "Leah," Jacob called softly from the woods out back. He'd gotten my message from Seth.

I climbed off the bed and belted my robe around my waist before quietly leaving the bedroom. The kitchen door made no sound as I slipped outside, hastily closing the distance between the forest and my house.

Jacob's figure made itself known, as he stepped out of the shadows. Dressed in a pair of cutoff shorts alone, I assumed he was patrolling again tonight, although he wasn't on the schedule. "What is it?"

"A friend of mine dropped in unannounced. Can I have the next couple of days off?" I asked as nicely as I could, silently praying that he wouldn't grill me about my houseguest.

"Fine. I'll get Michael to cover your patrols for the next few days." I relaxed marginally, allowing myself a flicker of hope that was snuffed out when Jacob stated matter-of-factly, "He's the guy from last summer."

My shoulders slumped and I sighed, "Yeah." Everyone knew about where I went last summer. So it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Zach was one of Bella's friends.

My eyes drifted to Jacob's face and stayed there. Ever since Jacob decided to take up the leadership mantle, he'd changed from a fairly easygoing guy to this hardened wall, standing in front of me. He barely ever smiled anymore and ran himself ragged patrolling at times when he didn't really have to. Between his apprenticeship with Trevor and the fuck fests with Carmen, it was a wonder he hadn't dropped from exhaustion, yet.

Tonight, his expression was stoic, giving away no indication of what he was thinking. And yet I read the tension in his jaw, saw the shadow of an unidentifiable emotion flicking in his gaze.

Was it about Bella? Did he want to ask about her? If he wanted to know about Bella then he would have to come out and ask. I wasn't even allowed to think about her in wolf form, so I sure as fuck wasn't about to volunteer any information.

As quickly as those thoughts began to form, the look in his eyes vanished, leaving me to wonder if I'd imagined it all. It had been months since his last Bella thought, in wolf form anyway. Did he even think about her anymore?

"Are you bringing him to the New Years Eve party?"

"Fuck no," I snarled and was surprised by the possessiveness tone of my voice. Zach would only be in town for a couple of days and I didn't want to share him with anyone.

Jacob's eyes narrowed slightly, assessing me with a knowing look that I didn't like one bit. "I'm sure you already know the rules, but I'm obligated to remind you anyway. Potential mates have to first be approved by the council."

_Mate?_ My jaw dropped, temper flaring at his insinuation. "What the fuck? Zach's not my mate. He's just a guy." His smile held small traces of mockery.

Why did I get the feeling he didn't believe me?

Jacob let out a snort of derision as he turned away, disappearing into the darkness of the forest.

For a moment, I just stood there, scaring trees with my scowl before going back into the house. As I padded up the stairs, the soft sounds of Zach's snores told me that he was still asleep. Oddly enough, the sound was comforting, having only had the sound of my own grumblings to keep me company for so long.

Back inside my room, I slipped out of my robe, tossing it onto the chair next to my bed. Zach lay on his side with the blanket barely covering his hip. I lifted the corner of the blanket and crawled in next to him. Jacob's words echoed in my head.

_Mate_? I snorted inwardly. _Yeah right._

Upon feeling the heat of my body, Zach instinctively scooted closer, wrapping an arm around my waist. He pressed his lips against my shoulder and my heart fluttered. Fucking fluttered.

_What the hell?_

A few hours later, I was sitting at the kitchen counter, watching Zach fry some bacon. His wife beater clung to the muscles in his back. I didn't exactly hate the sight of his firm ass in his _kiss the cock _boxers.

It was nice that he didn't feel the need to fill the silence with meaningless chatter. I wrapped my fingers around my coffee cup, giving off a deep sigh of contentment. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt so relaxed.

_A girl could get used to this._

As it turned out, I could get used to a lot of things. More and more, I found myself liking the fact that his scent was now all over my house. I enjoyed the sight of him in my kitchen, and found myself thinking about how much I would miss him when he was gone.

The phone rang, interrupting my thoughts, and I hopped off the stool to go answer it. As I left the kitchen, I could feel Zach's eyes on my ass. _Enjoy the view._

I sat down on the arm of the chair, snatched up the receiver and brought it to my ear. "Hello?" What I really wanted to ask was _who the hell is this? _To say that the interruption irritated me would be a gross understatement.

"So, I hear there's a man in my house."

_Damn you and your big mouth, Seth. When I see you again I'm gonna punch you right in the balls!_

"Hey, Mom."

"Why so glum? Did last night not go so well_?" God, I swear ever since my mom hooked up with Charlie it's like she's a frigging teenager again_. Great for her, sucked for me.

"Jeez, Mom!" My newly revived sex life was the last thing I wanted to talk to my mother about.

"All right, fine. I won't ask if you were sexually satisfied or not. I just called to tell you that Charlie has invited you and your boyfriend over for dinner tonight."

"He's not my boyfriend," I tried to correct her assumption.

"Okay, your friend with benefits or booty call or whatever you kids are calling it nowadays." In the corner of my mind, I wondered where the hell my mom had even heard those terms before.

"Wait a minute, why does Charlie want me to bring Zach over?" Immediately, I was filled with suspicion. Something didn't smell right.

"Oh, no reason. Just want to meet your special friend, that's all." Her blasé answer did nothing to assuage my worries. This smelled like a trap. "Anyway, dinner's at six. Bring your boyfriend, bye." She spoke quickly then hung up before I had the chance to turn her down or deny Zach being my boyfriend again.

_What the hell?_ I stared at the phone in annoyance.

Heavy footsteps clunked across my porch, and I picked up the scent of an uninvited visitor. _Oh hell no!_ In a huff of anger, I stomped over to the front door and wrenched it open.

Sam Uley stood on my stoop with his arms folded over his chest. His black glower pinned me where I stood. The tensing of his jaw told me that he was furious, at me, himself or our situation. Who knew? This was what our relationship had become. Sam was upset over me moving on, and I liked that it pissed him off so much. An evil grin made its way onto my face and I didn't try to hide it.

Sam's eyes raked over my body, taking my disheveled appearance with a disapproving frown. Of course, I knew what I looked like, lips still slightly swollen from Zach's kisses, completely naked except for Zach's T-shirt, smelling like sex and bacon. I looked like I'd just been fucked good and proper.

_Can we say awkward?_

I stiffened defensively under his judgmental stare.

_What the fuck is he doing here anyway?_

Before I could make any of my usual caustic remarks, the sound of Zach's approaching footsteps padded in our direction.

He rounded the corner calling out, "Where's my pussy… cat?" He stopped dead in his tracks, adding the last word when his hazel eyes landed on Sam.

Sam's eyes narrowed dangerously and Zach arched an eyebrow with a wicked smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

_Ah shit_.

* * *

**A/N:** Apologies for the late chapter. I re-wrote it because wasn't satisfied with the last draft. This chapter is unbeta'd but I refused to make you guys wait another week, so here it is. Hopefully the ridiculous chapter length will make up for my tardiness. Please forgive any errors you may undoubtedly come across.

**Back to the story:**

What do you think of Lee and Zee's reunion?

Do you think Zach knows about Taylor's secret?

Leah seems to be having trouble dealing with unwanted feelings for Zach.

Poor Seth's been traumatized.

What's up with the new rules for wolf mates?

Do you think Jake wanted to know about Bella?

Sam and Zach finally meet face to face... oh boy.

**A/N:** I'm torn about whether or not the next chapter should be in Leah's POV or if I should get back to Hanover and let Zach tell Bella what happened. Let me know if you'd rather read about the remainder of the visit in Leah's POV. I'll let you guys know my decision in your upcoming teasers. **Review and voice your choice.**

Also, not sure about when the next chapter will be delivered as I have come to a crossroad, relationship wise, and my mind is too tied up to write anything worth reading.

Keep checking my forum for chapter update news.

**Review and be teased people!**


	52. The pussy has whipped many a man

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Unfortunately my Blueboarderchick has a life, so you can thank Dirtychicken, the dirtiest chicken around, for editing this chapter.  
**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 52

Leah's POV

The tension filled silence stretched out between us. The two men stood staring at each other, no doubt sizing each other up.

"Who's your friend, Leah?" Sam was the first one to break the silence, and I snorted softly at his question. As if he didn't already know who Zach was.

"I'm Zach and you are…?" Zach trailed off inquisitively, his firm muscles stiffening as he strolled over slowly to stand beside me.

"Sam Uley." He extended his hand and after a beat Zach shook his hand.

He winced slightly when Sam exerted some pressure in his grip. _Asshole_. I bit back a growl of warning. Sam was really pushing his luck. How would he like it if I went over to his place and stabbed Emily in the arm with my finger?

Zach yanked his hand out of Sam's, opening and closing it in a bid to relax the cramp in his muscles. Sam's self-satisfied smirk was wiped off his face when Zach quipped, "Dude, word of advice, lay off the steroids."

The attempt would've been useless, so I didn't bother with trying to hold back my snicker. Zach thought Sam was _on the juice_. That shit was just too funny.

Zach wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close, and I relaxed into his embrace.

"So how do you know, Lee?" One strong hand rested on my hip and squeezed possessively. You could bet your ass Sam noticed that.

Sam's jaw clenched when he heard my nickname. "Oh, Lee-Lee and me go way back. Don't we, Lee-Lee?" _Lee-Lee? That fucker_. He knew he wasn't allowed to call me that anymore.

"Lee-Lee?" Zach's mouth tightened ever so slightly at the corners.

All right, I'd had enough. "What are you doing here, Sam?" I asked trying to keep the civility in my tone for Zach's benefit.

"I came to _personally_ invite you to my New Year's Eve party tomorrow night." Sam pasted on his asshole smile.

"Sorry, Zach and I already have plans." At this, Zach raised a brow in silent inquiry. I didn't mention that those plans included getting shit-faced and letting Zach wear me like a hat.

"You might want to reconsider. The invitation's from Jacob too."

_Shit._ That meant it was an order. So I couldn't exactly refuse, not without having a good excuse. _Gee being in a pack is such fun!_

Why would Jacob order me to bring Zach around the pack? Jacob never threw his weight around. The injunction against communicating with Bella was the one and only time he'd forced me to do something. Jacob Black could be grade A jackass sometimes but, for the most part, he was fair.

Zach's eyebrows furrowed together. "Jacob as in Jacob Black?"

"You've heard of him?"

"You can say that." I gave Zach a sidelong glance filled with curiosity. By his grim expression, it appeared that Zach wasn't a Jacob fan.

"Fine, we'll be there," I reluctantly conceded with the excitement equivalent to that of a man agreeing to a prostate exam.

"I'm looking forward to it. We're _all_ looking forward to it." The ass smiled and I wanted to break his nose.

_Great, just great_. Now the entire pack wanted to meet Zach. Was it _everybody gang up and railroad Leah day?_

With his shitty news/orders delivered, Sam bounded down the stairs and toward his car with a newfound pep in his step. _Fucker._ I slammed the door, wishing it was him I was slamming.

Did he think that the pack would scare Zach off or something? If that was his plan, then he had another thing coming. Damn it! Why couldn't I have a little peace? All I wanted to do was spend some much needed, uninterrupted time with Zach. Was that too much to ask? Leave it to the pack to try and piss in my cereal.

"So we have plans for tomorrow night." _And tonight but I'll tell him that later_. Zach kissed my neck, his arm wrapping tightly around my waist, pulling me close. I turned in Zach's embrace, looping my arms around his neck before burying my face in his throat. The feel of his skin against mine, his scent, and the very sound of his voice sent my canine senses into overdrive. Zach had no idea what he did to me. Or maybe he did, the crafty bastard.

"Looks like it," I murmured, enjoying the feel of his arms around me, determined to not questioning why it felt so right.

"Just admit it. You couldn't wait to show me off to all your friends," Zach chuckled when I groaned, imagining the reactions of wolf girls.

"You conniving bastard. You're enjoying this, aren't you?" I pulled away from him just enough to look at his face. And sure enough, he was smiling.

"I'm looking forward to it. Because the sooner I meet and charm all of your friends, the sooner you'll have to admit that I belong in your life, Lee."

"Oh God. Not this again," I groaned, lowering my face in his neck again.

"It's too late to back out, baby. I've already crawled inside you and set up shop. You'll never get rid of me now." The cocky bastard didn't have to sound so smug.

"That sounds like something a tapeworm would say."

"Whatever gets me in your pants, Lee." Zach grinned and pulled me toward my breakfast.

If Zach was curious about why I didn't invite my _friend_ in, he didn't ask.

* * *

Hours later, I pulled up in front of Charlie's house with Zach in tow.

On the inside I was freaking out about introducing Zach to my mother. It was becoming increasingly difficult keeping things casual and carefree between me and Zach. Meeting ones parents was the opposite of casual.

I tossed, what I hoped was, an irritated look at the man sitting next to me. "Could you try not to be so… you?"

"Don't worry, Lee. I promise not to say anything about the midnight rape." His wry grin was accompanied by wriggling eyebrows.

My mouth fell open. "Rape? I didn't hear you complaining."

"A guy could hardly complain when he's still asleep, Lee."

"You know what? Just get out of the damn car." I shoved lightly at his shoulder,

"I love it when you rough me up." He pulled me into a heated kiss. But I put an end to it before we got too carried away. I was mindful of the fact that we were parked in a car, making out in front of the police chief's house.

We climbed out of the car and I saw the curtain quickly drop back in place. I was willing to bet anything that my mother had seen us fogging up the windows. _Great_!

The door opened before I had the chance to knock, revealing my mother and a grinning Seth.

After giving me a hello hug, mom turned to Zach. "You must be Zach. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"And you must be Lee's sister. The pleasure is all mine." He leaned down, kissed her hand and I swore I saw my mom blush. Zach really was a silver tongued devil.

"Has my daughter been treating you well?" My mother asked with a raised eyebrow, and I wanted to crawl into a hole when Seth snickered behind her.

I glared at Seth with a threat to his balls on the tip of my tongue, but one glance at my mother told me that would be a bad idea. She was a firm believer in pretending to be civilized in front of guests, even if she had to kick your ass to make it happen. Seth's smile crawled away pathetically under her glare.

_Jeez, what a pair we made, two ferocious werewolves and we were still afraid of our mother._

The dinner at Charlie's house was weird and just plain old ridiculous. The night started off with my mom dragging me into the kitchen to ask embarrassing questions about my sex life. Then Charlie showed up uncharacteristically late, still wearing his uniform and carrying a shotgun in his hand. With a stern face, Charlie sat down at the dinner table before proceeding to grill a decidedly paler Zach about his family and career goals. Poor Zach seemed a little intimidated by the police chief, calling him _Mr. Chief Swan Sir_. I thought that he would pass out when Charlie started talking about how often people went missing, and were never seen or heard from again.

Seth almost choked on his food a few times because he was laughing so much. The little punk had grown immune to all my under the table kicking. And I began to wonder if my mother would mind if I just went ahead and murdered her only son. Really, I mean, how attached could she be to him? She was still young. As gross as it sounded, she and Charlie could still have more kids if they wanted. Between Charlie's cryptic threats, my mother's enigmatic smiles and Seth's snickering, I found myself hoping for a vampire attack. Just so I could have a reason to run off into the night. Jeez, only family could embarrass a person this much.

I kept throwing questioning glances at my mom; trying to figure out what the hell Charlie was doing interrogating Zach.

Once Charlie found out that Zach was majoring in Environmental Studies and worked as a seasonal park ranger, he warmed up to him, retiring his heavy scowl that I'd suspected was more for show than anything else. Zach even regained some of his color and reverted back to his charming self.

When dinner was over, Seth went to hang out (patrol) with Colin and Brady, Charlie took Zach into the living room to have a _discussion_ while mom cornered me in the kitchen.

"So, he seems nice." My mother began to clear the table and I gave her a hand.

"Yeah, he is." I replied cautiously.

"How long's he staying for?"

"Just a couple of days."

"Are you thinking about telling him that you're…?"

"You know the rules, Mom. We can't tell anyone about us, only mates."

"So if he's not a potential mate, what is he then? A one night stand?"

"Mom, he's… it's complicated." I began to look around for an escape route.

"Then let me make it simple for you. Zach seems like a great guy; he found out about the Cullens and didn't go running his mouth off to the papers. Not to mention that he's got one hell of a body on him."

"Mom!" My head snapped up in surprise.

"What? I was young once too, you know. And it's not like I'm lying. He's a very attractive young man." Her voice lowered conspiratorially. My mom was in teenager mode again. Damn, I blamed Charlie for this.

"I want us to be able to talk about private stuff, Leah. I don't know… I just feel like maybe you're ready for us to be adult friends." She finished with a hopeful smile on her face.

Although I didn't think I would ever be able to talk about sex with my mother, I smiled and nodded anyway. It was worth a try.

"Zach seems like a lot of fun. You need that in your life, Leah, someone to make you laugh. You're too serious. I never told you this, but I always thought that Sam was a little uptight..." she continued talking but I was barely paying attention. I was too busy, trying to listening in to what Charlie was saying to Zach in the next room.

"…I care about her a lot, Mr. Swan." I had to admit how much it thrilled me to hear him say that.

"I'm glad you feel that way because Leah's a very special young woman. I'm sure you already know she's been through some hard stuff in the past so… that's why I wanted to know what your intentions were." Charlie ended, clearing his throat awkwardly.

I couldn't believe it. Charlie invited Zach over to give him the _talk_. I didn't think Charlie cared that much about me. Maybe he figured that with my dad gone, he would be the next best person to threaten my boyfriends.

I turned away from the living room to discover my mom watching me cautiously. "I have a pretty good idea what Charlie's telling Zach right now and I hope you're not mad."

"Why would I be mad?" I was a little confused but not mad.

"Because ever since… Sam… It changed you, sweetie. You've always been independent but after what happened with Sam and your father… you pulled away from everyone. I know you felt betrayed about what happened after Sam imprinted…" Her voice trailed off, allowing my recollection to fill in the missing words.

I remembered how much it hurt after Sam and Emily stabbed me in the heart. But that pain was only amplified when my father tried to defend their actions, saying that what happened to me wasn't their fault. At that time, I knew nothing about the existence of werewolves and the curse known as imprinting, so no one could blame me for adding my father to my list of betrayers. Although I loved my mother, my dad and I had always been closer and when it seemed like he was taking Sam's side over mine, our relationship took a blow. Up until his death, things were never the same between us.

My mother continued in a subdued tone of voice. "Charlie and your dad had an argument over it. Charlie couldn't understand why your dad seemed so accepting of Sam after he broke your heart, and your father couldn't tell him the real reason behind his acceptance. So of course, to Charlie, it looked like no one was trying to protect you. It was the only time I ever heard them argue." Her eyes momentarily flickered with sadness before lighting up again. "I know you like to think you have a heart of stone, and don't need anyone's protection anymore, but Charlie's just trying to make sure that have someone looking out for you this time around."

It felt like I gained a little insight into why Charlie disliked Cullen so much, and never warmed up to him even after he came back. It also explained why Charlie was giving Zach the third degree earlier. Protecting people was not just Charlie's job, it defined who he was. I guess I fell under his _jurisdiction_ now.

Oddly enough, the revelation didn't piss me off. It sort of felt, I don't know… nice. Everyone thought that I had a heart of stone, but people tended to forget that even stone hearts had the ability for break.

I decided to change the topic. "What was the council's ruling on finally letting Charlie in on our secret?"

"It was a tie. Jacob, Billy and I were for it but Old Quil, Trevor and Jolon voted against the idea."

"Screw 'em. You should tell Charlie anyway."

"Language, young lady," She admonished before her expression softened. "You know I can't go against the will of the council. I just have to hope that they'll change their minds about him in time." I noted the tension in her slim shoulders as her eyes drifted over my shoulder in the direction of the living room.

In the next room, the conversation had taken an interesting turn as Charlie asked Zach a loaded question. "What can you tell me about the green-eyed fella who's always staring at my daughter in all those pictures she sends me?"

_Oh snap!_ I knew exactly what picture Charlie was talking about too. Bella had sent me a copy of the group photo we took together in front of the lake house last summer. In the picture, Bella was smiling for the camera while Taylor had his arms wrapped around her from behind. Their positions might have been construed as innocent if Taylor didn't have his face buried in her hair. They looked like a couple. I wasn't surprised that the image struck up a note of curiosity in Charlie.

As I listened to Zach spilling his guts, an evil smile blossomed on my face. Bella would definitely have some questions to answer the next time she spoke with Charlie. _Karma's a bitch._

* * *

Ever so slowly, I applied some eyeliner then finished off with a little lipstick. I was out of practice. My vacation in Hanover was the first and last time I'd worn any makeup, since my breakup with Sam. In recent times, I didn't bother to pay any kind of special attention to what I wore because there'd never been a reason to. The female part of me had been rudely shoved aside when I became a werewolf. But tonight was different. Tonight, I would begin to reclaim the lost fragments of my femininity.

With a critical eye, I took one last look in the mirror. Dressed in form-fitting jeans that clung to the curves of my hips and thighs, I looked more feminine than I had in years. My black, knee-high leather boots made my legs appear even longer. My inspection was interrupted when a hand appeared around my waist, caressing the red fabric of my spaghetti strap tank as it crawled its way toward my right breast.

"You know, we _could_ stay home. I'm sure no one will miss us," I tried to persuade. I moaned when the hand began to tease my nipple until it hardened.

"Nice try, Lee." He purred in my ear and my knees almost buckled. I was disappointed when he moved his hand away.

"I got you something. Sort of a late Christmas gift." He pulled me toward the bed.

After digging around in his bag, Zach handed me, what appeared to be, a small jewelry box. The card attached to it read _from_ _Zach and Suzie Q_. After setting the card aside, I flipped open the lid to reveal a beautiful, silver necklace. In silent awe, I reached a finger out, lightly tracing the twisted snake pendant.

I actually felt my eyes start to tear up a little. _Shit, I'm turning into a girl._

My mouth opened and closed a few times before I was able to fully complete a sentence. "Zach, I don't know what to say. I didn't get you anything."

"The only gift I want is to see that pendant nestled between those perfect pair of tits you've got there."

I rolled my eyes. _What a poet?_

Zach took the box and carefully removed the chain from its padding. He walked around to stand behind me before easing the chain around my neck. There was a soft click as he fastened the tiny clasp.

"God, why do you always have to be so… you?" I hated how he made me feel so giddy and unsettled all the time. It was annoying.

Zach spun me around to face him. He wore a serious expression on his face. "I don't run, hide or play games, Lee. With me, what you see is what you get."

Life was funny sometimes. Although my rage was as much a part of me as the hair on my head, I hadn't always been that way. I was once an ordinary girl, who drank at parties and snuck out at night to have sex with her boyfriend. My biggest worry used to be whether or not I would get my period that month. Now I exploded into a furry bitch every time I broke a nail. A development that was so stunning, it caused my dad to drop dead right in front of me. If that wasn't shitty enough, I also got to have a front row mental view of my ex-fiancé giving it to my cousin on a regular basis. And then to add insult to a fucked-up injury, I became a member of the _my plumbing doesn't work anymore club_.

Maybe, just maybe life wasn't some evil, coked-up bitch that was dead set on screwing me over. Maybe my luck was beginning to change.

As we drove down the street that led to Sam's house, I could hear the loud music echoing in the cold night air. I opened the door and climbed out. Zach walked around the car, pulled me close, resting his hand on my ass as we walked toward the house. I noticed some of the less sociable wolves among the people hanging out outside.

With Zach following closely behind me, I entered the living room where the party was in full swing. The majority of the furniture in the living room had been cleared to provide space for people to dance and mingle. Lots of people from the reservation came out to attend, and every member of the pack was already present, except for the ones that were on patrol duty.

Our entrance drew stares from pack, but Emily was the first one to approach and welcome us. Sam stood off to the side, looking like a sour puss.

"Glad you could make it, Leah." She aimed a smile at Zach, holding out her hand. "Hi, I'm Leah's cousin, Emily."

"A pleasure to meet you, Emily. I'm Zach." Zach didn't miss a beat as he turned on the charm, reaching out to shake her hand. I was relieved when Zach showed no reaction to her scars. Although we would never be as close as we once were, I didn't want Emily's feelings to get hurt.

Emily looked as if she wanted to drag me to the corner where Rachel and Kim were impatiently waiting to drill me. But she knew that Jacob was waiting for me to introduce Zach to the pack first so she held herself in check.

I grabbed Zach's hand and started to maneuver through the crowd to the side of the room where Jacob stood with other members of the pack. The older members instinctively drew closer to their Alpha while the younger ones huddled behind them, eyeing me curiously. Many of them had never seen me dressed up before, and couldn't stop staring. I assumed they would have already been warned not to come too close to Zach since some of them were still new to phasing, and therefore prone to bursting into a werewolf over the slightest upset. But just in case they hadn't been warned, I stared each of them down until they looked away timidly. Message received.

"Zach, I'd like you to meet my ah… _friends_." I almost choked on the word and Quil's smirk told me that he'd noticed. I went about introducing each pack member by name, saving Jacob's for last.

"And this is Jacob Black," I said with a bit of trepidation.

"Hey." Jacob extended his hand and Zach frowned at it, his lips tightening in irritation.

For a moment, I sure that Zach wouldn't accept it but he surprised me when he finally did. Jacob seemed taken aback at Zach's reluctance and threw a questioning glance in my direction.

The awkward moment was broken when Carmen returned from the kitchen with a beer for Jacob. Her eyes lit up in surprise when they land on me.

"Wow, Leah. Not only do you clean up nicely, but you even managed to dig up a date. Miracles do happen after all." Carmen's words were wrapped in sugary sweetness, but I caught the thinly veiled insult.

How Jacob could not see how evil she was, was beyond my understanding. Or maybe it wasn't. The pussy has whipped many a man. Why should our great Alpha be any different?

Confronting Carmen wouldn't have done me one bit of good. Not when Jacob was standing right there, ready to jump in and protect her from any threat, namely me, the big bad bitch. I thought about just walking away and letting her have the last laugh, but that wasn't my style. And to be honest, that bitch just got on my nerves with her whole _Queen of La Push_ attitude.

I growled, "Very funny, Nurse Ratched. How about you give your two brain cells a rest and go suck Jacob's-"

Zach clamped a hand over my mouth and said, "Okay! We're going over there now." He began to drag me over to where Emily, Kim and Rachel stood, pretending they weren't watching us. Jacob glared at me, protectively wrapping a visibly upset Carmen in his arms.

_Not so funny now, huh bitch?_

Zach moved his hand and pulled me off to the side. "What the hell was that, Leah?" Zach was clearly agitated.

_Leah?_ I raised an eyebrow. "Carmen just gets on my nerves."

"That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about Jacob. Why did you introduce me to that guy, knowing how I feel about him?"

If Jacob was an ordinary guy, the noise of the party and music would've been enough to keep our conversation private. But he could still hear everything Zach said.

"The guy hurt Izzy so bad that she almost destroyed herself. If it hadn't been for Taylor-" Zach suddenly broke off and ran a hand through his thick hair in frustration. Over his shoulder, I scrutinized Jacob's reaction to Zach's words.

The indulgent smile he'd had on display for Carmen's benefit had vanished, his jaw clenched in anger as he kept his eyes focused on the ground. Jacob's altered mood had Sam and the older wolves listening in as well. Carmen was too busy gossiping with Tess and Mel to notice the change in Jacob's demeanor. _Luckily for him_.

"You know what? I'm not gonna let him ruin this party for us. If Izzy could let it go then so can I." Zach's gorgeous lips broke into a smile and I felt my heart flutter. _What_ _the hell is up with the heart palpitations?_ Maybe I should lay off the red meat. "Come on. I want you to introduce me to those girls who have been eye-fucking me all night."

He pointed in Kim and Rachel's direction and they quickly averted their eyes. I was surprised Rachel hadn't pounced on us as soon as we walked through the door. I'd been dodging her calls all day. Claire's mom, Amy, was looking after JJ, Kim and Jared's little rug rat, so Kim could have a night off from parenthood. And she was damn near starving for adult conversation or gossip, whichever came first.

Sam scowled when Zach placed a hand on my ass to guide me to where the wolf girls stood. And for the next hour or so, Rachel embarrassed the hell out of me, telling Zach stories about my wild teenaged years. When that got old, Rachel moved on to a topic that was guaranteed to piss off her little brother.

"So, Zach. You're close friends with Bella, right? How's she doing?" Rachel's face took on an inquisitive glow and all the way across the room, I felt Jacob stiffen.

Everyone knew not to bring up Bella's name, especially when Jacob was within earshot. Rachel had been told about everything that went down between Bella and Jacob. But what she wanted to gauge his reaction to hearing about Bella for herself.

She wasn't a fan of Carmen's. Not after they almost came to blows a few months ago, forcing Jacob to create a zero tolerance rule. Any wolf girl who physically assaulted another would be exiled, thrown off the res, no exceptions. With Emily, Rachel and Kim on one side and Carmen, Mel and Tess on the other, Jacob hadn't been left with any other alternative. The wolf girls were constantly at each other's throats and something had to be done about it.

"She's doing all right but still in a little pain from the fall." Zach supplied after taking a swig from his beer bottle.

"Fall? What fall?" Emily asked. The unscarred part of her face frowned in confusion.

_Shit!_ I was the only one Bella told about her most recent brush with death. If Bella had wanted Emily and the other girls to know about her accident she would've told them herself.

"A couple of days before Christmas, Izzy fell off a cliff and almost died. Leah didn't tell you?" Zach queried and everyone turned to me for answers.

"Sorry. Bella didn't want to scare you guys. Besides it wasn't a big deal." I tried to downplay the whole incident.

Zach looked at me like I just grew two horns on my head. "Not a big deal? She fell off a cliff and got mauled by a wolf. Then she had to wait out a blizzard in a cave with Taylor."

By that point, Jacob had given up all pretenses and was openly burning a hole in my head from across the room. The previously jovial atmosphere had been replaced with the throbbing, almost palpable rage of the Alpha. Only the wolves sensed the change, everyone else was blissfully ignorant. Jared and Paul looked like they wanted throw Kim and Rachel over their respective shoulders, and make a break for it.

The older wolves observed Jacob anxiously, searching for any telltale signs that he was close to phasing. The younger wolves, sensing Jacob's fury, intuitively moved away, trembling with fear. They'd all heard the story of Bella, the girl that fell in love with a vampire then later, with a werewolf. She was also the girl that left them both in the end. To younger wolf generation, Bella Swan was a fucking legend and the girl that started it all.

"Who's Taylor?" Kim's face lit up with mischievousness. She was just as big an instigator as Rachel was. Whenever those two teamed up, it usually meant trouble for the person on the receiving end. And right now, that person was Jacob.

"Oh, he's nobody. Just the guy who's been in love with Izzy since the day they met," Zach relayed like he was revealing one of Bella's dirty little secrets.

After hearing Zach's admission, it felt like none of us wolves could breathe properly. Even in human form, we were all linked. Not to each other, but to Jacob. We could sense whenever he was upset, angry or calm. Although I loved Zach's _in your face_ personality, right now I wanted nothing more than for him to shut up. There were times when I actually liked pissing off Jacob, but now wasn't one of them.

Zach stared to tell stories about Taylor and Bella's relationship, like the time Bella and Taylor got drunk and ended up in bed together. Then there was the time when Taylor kicked Bella's ex-boyfriend's cheating ass. And of course, he didn't forget to tell them about that other time they spent an entire night in a cave, with only their warm bodies to keep each other from freezing to death. He made it sound as if Taylor and Bella were sexing each other's brains out. And Rachel, Kim and Emily were eating all of his stories up with a spoon.

Jacob's eyes moved from Zach to pin me where I stood, and I struggled to keep my composure. His eyes communicated that he would want to speak with me later on. _God, why didn't I just stay home?_

Jacob blinked and just like that, the look was gone, his temper centered and he was calm once more. He smiled and the younger wolves began to edge back to his circle, realizing that the crisis had been averted.

Unbeknownst to Jacob, Carmen and her friends had been watching his near meltdown and she didn't look pleased. She knew that there was only one person who still held the power to make him lose it. The only person she still felt threatened by. Bella.

Zach's words pulled my attention back. "Damn, Lee really doesn't tell you girls anything." On cue, the three wolf girls turned to look at me. Rachel had an accusatory gleam in her eyes while Emily's held traces of disappointment. They were all a little hurt and annoyed that I'd keep so much from them but that was too damn bad.

"Look, there are things that Bella tells me in confidence… I can't say anything, I'm sorry." I ended with an apology that wasn't much of one. Bella was my friend, and she had to be able to trust that I wouldn't go around blabbing her business to the entire reservation. That was just the way things were.

Following an awkward silence, Kim tried to lighten the mood with stories about JJ's latest antics. It was all that I could do not to set myself on fire. Seriously, why did all parents think that their rug rats were the funniest kids in the world? For the love of God, who cares if JJ found a pea in his poop and ate it? That's just fucking gross. People shouldn't be laughing; they should be calling Child Protective Services.

But I couldn't say that stuff out loud, so I glued on my _pretend I give a shit_ smile as we listened to a few more boring ass baby stories. Fortunately, Zach came to my rescue and asked me to dance. _Bless his perverted little heart._

It wasn't long before Zach's hand began to make its ill-fated journey down my back, and I was forced to stop him. Pretty soon, it turned into a game between us to see how long Zach would get to keep his hand on my ass before I pinched or threatened to break his hand. It was safe to say that we were both enjoying ourselves until Jacob interrupted us.

"Can I talk to you, Leah?" Jacob's deceptively innocent request stopped just short of a command. I guess it was too much to hope that he would wait until after the party to interrogate me about Bella.

I turned back to Zach. "Will you be okay?"

"Are you kidding? Those women over there love me." He pointed to the wolf girls.

"I'll be right back." I told Zach before following Jacob into the kitchen and out the backdoor. We'd barely made it a few steps from the house before Jacob turned on me.

"Why didn't you tell me that Bella was in trouble?" Jacob's voice was low, bitter sounding as he pushed for answers.

"When is Bella not in trouble?" I snorted, trying for humor even if the attempt failed.

"Damn it, Leah. I'm not kidding around. Why didn't you tell me?" He demanded forcefully.

"Well, ever since I was banned from thinking about Bella, I was under the impression that I wasn't allowed to talk about her anymore. And when exactly did you start giving a shit about Bella again?" My voice was hard as my anger flared up at Jacob. He had some set of balls to start demanding answers when he'd practically banished Bella from his life.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jacob's eyes narrowed on me, his body rife with fury. This was a clear sign that his anger was once again nearing its limits. A wise wolf, particularly a wolf interested in self preservation, would've backed off immediately. But I was always too ballsy for my own good.

Jacob had been living in a denial for too long. I was pissed off, at Jacob and at myself. Because of him, I had to lie to Bella every time we spoke. I felt no small amount of guilt over the part I played, and still continued to play in the way things were now. If Bella ever found out the truth, would she blame me? After all, I was the one who convinced her to leave and then later, convinced her that she was doing the right thing by staying away.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. You threw her away, Jake. You threw her away because she was scared. Because she didn't want to wait around for you to break her heart. And now here you stand, all tingly and hurt because you were the last to know about Bella's accident. What the hell did you expect?" I sneered, much too furious to heed the warning signals of an Alpha that had reached his limit.

Apparently my words struck deeper than I expected. Jacob's mouth tightened as his rage bubbled just beneath the surface, threatening to explode. I should have stopped then, but I was too far gone.

"Take a bow, Jakey-boy. This is all your doing. You had your chance and you blew it. If you had gone after her the second you found out about claiming, you two would still be together today. Now you're stuck with a pathetic excuse for an Alpha female, while Bella's in Boston meeting her boyfriend's family. Hmm… what do you think is gonna come next, Jake? Maybe a proposal. Maybe he's asking her to marry him right now."

_Too far._

Jacob growled, a low, menacing sound intended to warn of an upcoming attack. I quickly stepped back, and my demeanor immediately changed into a nonthreatening, almost submissive stance. My head was bent, eyes lowered to stare at the ground as my inner wolf intuitively deferred to the power of the Alpha. The dynamics of our pack was similar to that of a pack of wolves living in the wild and it sucked balls.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and my skin began its familiar itching tingle that would soon become a burning sensation. My body tensed for the fight that was sure to follow. An Alpha wouldn't allow me to get away with being disrespectful. Although the odds of me winning this brawl were futile, I would fight back nonetheless.

Another snarl rang out before Jacob phased, shredding his clothes. His fur was nothing more than a blur as he quickly disappeared into the trees, leaving behind the tattered scraps of his clothes.

_Why didn't he attack?_

I stood motionless, staring into the darkness of the woods until Sam spoke up from behind me. "First you insult Carmen… _again_, and then you bring up Bella. Are you _trying_ to get yourself killed?" He walked around to stand in front of me.

"I know your mind is still foggy from all the sex, but you really should try to think about self preservation." I detected judgment in his tone and snapped.

"Don't you dare judge me, Sam Uley. How I choose to live my life is nobody's business, least of all yours." With all my might, I was trying to move on. But Sam acting like a jealous dick only made things harder. You would think he would be happy for me…

There were times when I would look at Sam and wonder if there was anything left of the man I used to love. But now I saw the truth. He wasn't my Sam anymore and if I was completely honest with myself, he'd stopped being my Sam the first moment he phased. He was Emily's Sam and all there was left for him to do now was accept it.

His mouth twisted into a grim smile. "I'm just saying that you might wanna slow down. That guy you slept with, what was his name? Oh right Tony. Now, you're with Zach. I mean, at the rate you're going you could start charging a fee."

His words sliced through my heart, and I was surprised at how much Sam was still able to hurt me. On top of everything he put me through; he was now calling me a whore.

As always, my pain gave way to rage and I snarled, "Fuck you, Sam. _You_ left _me_, remember? You never even tried to fight the imprint. And now you're mad because I'm done pining for you. Go to hell."

For the millionth time, Sam tried to apologize to me for imprinting. "I said I was sorry, Leah."

"I don't want your sorry. I want you to stay the fuck out of my life." I was so sick of this. Sam was making me wish I'd stayed in Hanover with Bella.

"Is everything okay out here, Lee?" I spun around and found Zach standing in the doorway.

"Everything's fine," Sam answered when it seemed like I wouldn't.

"I didn't ask you." Zach searched my face closely as he took a slow step in our direction.

"This isn't any of your business, Zach." Sam was redirecting his frustration toward Zach and I began to watch him carefully.

"See, that's where you're wrong, because Leah's my business." Zach finally shifted his eyes to stare at Sam with a severity that shocked me. His easygoing personality had been replaced with a hardened edge I didn't know Zach possessed.

"You know what? You're starting to piss me off." Sam took a couple of steps in Zach's direction, and the tight rein I had on my temper almost snapped.

Without even thinking about it, I placed myself between them with Zach safely behind my back. My lips were barred in silent warning and I was on the verge of phasing. The rage surged as the wolf struggled to be set free. The words _protect_ and _remove threat_ screamed in my brain over and over.

Shock registered on Sam's face as he began to understand what was happening. I had the same reaction that he would've had if Emily had been threatened. The wolf viewed Sam as a threat to its mate, and warned him to back the fuck up.

When the fuck did Zach go from being a one night stand to a potential mate? _Damn him for making me feel shit and want crap!_

Almost as if he sensed how volatile our situation was becoming, Zach attempted to make a joke. "Damn, Lee. Don't kick his ass," he laughed weakly, but I heard the underlying tremors of anxiousness in his voice, and willed myself to calm down.

He placed his hands on my shoulders and squeezed, attempting to knead the tension away. My aggression ebbed away under his administrations and I gradually began to relax my defensive stance.

Sam wore a look that was a mixture of sadness and defeat on his face as he looked away from us.

"How about we move the party back to your house? Huh, Lee?" Zach suggested and I nodded my acceptance.

On our way out, I locked eyes with Emily's pained ones and in that instant, I actually felt sorry for her. She hadn't been close enough to hear my argument with Sam, but the look on her face said that she had guessed what our fight had been about. It must have been hell for Emily to live with the knowledge that Sam didn't chose her. And that things would've been so different if he'd never laid eyes on her. We all had to live with her decision to stab me in the back because everyone knew that even though Sam didn't have a choice, Emily did.

In the end, I hoped the elders were correct in their assumption that I would never imprint due to my infertility. I didn't want to be brainwashed into loving someone. For me, that was a fate worse than death.

Although the wolf had decided on Zach, we still had some way to go before he could be accepted here. He would have to move to the res, something that would have to wait until he finished college. Then there was that pesky matter of getting the approval of the elders. So I still had to wait two more years before I had to tell Zach the truth about myself.

As we made our way toward the car, I looked toward the forest where Jacob was probably smashing trees as he ran through it, and hoped that Bella would never come back here. That she would grab on to whatever happiness she had with Taylor and never let go. Because the second Bella returned, I knew she would get dragged into the shit that we all had to live with, ever since the day Jacob laid eyes on Carmen.

* * *

**Back to the story**

What do you think about Sam and Zach's first meeting?

Poor Zach was afraid of Charlie. What do you think about Charlie's protectiveness of Leah?

Zach seems to be very serious about Leah.

What do you think about what Leah said to Jacob? I think she was too hard on him.

What secret could Leah be forced to keep from Bella?

Leah and Sam's argument... Things were pretty tense for a moment.

Zach exposed Bella's business in front of Jacob... was he jealous?

Do you agree with Leah that Carmen is evil.

JJ, Amy, Mel and Tess. I introduced some new character that will feature after Bella's return home.

Do you agree with Leah? Should Bella stay happy with Taylor?

**A/N:** Just a few things.

I'm glad to be done being Leah's voice. Although Leah is easier and funnier to write than Bella, switching POV's always gives me a headache.

Someone told me that my story is getting too long and I'd like to know if you guys agree. I always thought that details were what what made a story but now I'm not so sure. My chapters used to be around 3000-4000 words but have now ballooned up to 6000-8000 words. This has lead to longer wait period between updates. What do you guys think? Should I cut down on details or keep the story as is?

**Review **and receive your **teasers** people!


	53. Eat your meat everyday!

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
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**A/N: Unfortunately my Blueboarderchick is busy, so you can thank Dirtychicken, the dirtiest chicken around, for editing this chapter for me.  
**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

**WARNING: **Please be advised, sexual content in this chapter.**  
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* * *

Chapter 53

We'd been back in Hanover a day when Angela called, wanting to get the scoop on my night in Taylor's room. Ryan had driven to the airport to pick up Zach, Liz went to the grocery and Taylor was out running errands. I was catching up on the laundry and some chores I'd been neglecting. I had just finished putting a load into the washer when my cell phone rang.

"Well?"

"Well what?" I threw myself on the bed, making myself comfortable.

"How was the sex?" Angela queried with a hint of impatience.

"We didn't exactly have sex. I mean I… had an orgasm but we didn't have sex." I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, feeling my face heat in embarrassment at Angela's straightforwardness.

"Wait a minute, you had an orgasm but you didn't sleep together? I'm confused, was there or was there not penis involved?"

"When you put it that way… there wasn't. But it was so good, Angela. I mean… wow," I sighed happily, rolling over to gaze at the ceiling.

"Well, let me be the first one to welcome you. You're now a card carrying member of the FOC, the Female Orgasm Club," Angela announced with all the grandeur of a mayor at a ribbon cutting ceremony.

"Angela, the Female Orgasm Club? Seriously?" Laughter bubbled up in my throat. The things Angela and her quirky mind would come up with…

"Don't laugh. Did you know that ten percent of women have never had an orgasm? It's true, I looked it up," Angela relayed matter-of-factly.

_Why on earth would Angela even look up orgasm statistics?_

"So, what does this mean for you guys? Are you like in love and together or what?"

_Love?_ Mild panic flared up in my stomach and I found myself floundering to answer her questions. "Well, I… um. We're not exactly _defining_ things just yet. We're just going with the flow, you know? Keeping things simple."

"Just going with the flow? I don't know, Bella. Taylor doesn't really strike me as that kind of guy." Angela sounded unconvinced.

"What kind?" I inquired, feeling another one of Angela's wacky theories coming on.

"Okay, the way I see it, there are two types of men. The first are the kind of guys that prefer variety in their meat, and they'll go out every day in search it. Now the second kind, they still go out hunting for meat, but once they find the kind they like, they club it over the head and drag it back to their cave so they can eat it every day. Do you hear what I'm saying?"

"Oh, I'm hearing that you watch way too many nature shows."

"I'm saying that Taylor is the second kind. He wants to eat your meat every day, Bella!"

A short silence fell between us before I asked, "What is _wrong_ with you?"

"I don't know. I think it's the Florida sun. It's doing strange shit to my brain."

I decided to get us off the subject of a meat eating Taylor, and thankfully, Angela let me.

"Hey, have you gone out with anyone since you and Mark broke up?" Angela had been such a good friend to me lately, and I didn't even know what was happening in her love life. _Some friend I am._

"I haven't really been dating anyone but…"Angela trailed off and I caught the smile in her voice.

"But what?" I pressed.

"Ok, so there's this guy. We met through a mutual friend a year ago and grew really close. He's like the best guy friend a girl could ask for."

"What's his name?"

"His name is Trent and he works at a café. He's absolutely gorgeous and funny. Not to mention, a _really_ great kisser," Angela confided dreamily.

"You kissed?"

"Yeah. I can't wait for you to meet him. Maybe you can come to Florida for a visit. What are you guys doing for spring break?"

I bit my lip in contemplation. "I don't know. We haven't made any plans yet. But I'll run it past the gang and get back to you, all right?"

Spending spring break in Florida would definitely get Renee off my back about visiting more. Plus, I'd be able to find out what she thought of Taylor. Not that I was planning on introducing him as my boyfriend or anything…

"Sure. By the way, I sent you an email."

"Yeah? What's in it?"

"Oh, just some pictures of the stuff I was telling you about. You'll see." I heard the slyness in her tone. "Anyway, I gotta go. I'm meeting Trent for lunch. Bye, Bella."

"Okay, I'll talk to you later." I hung up and reached for my laptop, curious about what was in Angela's email.

I logged into my email account and waited for the message to load. I took one look at the pictures, gasped and slammed my laptop lid close. Angela was a straight-up freak.

Moments later, I was using a sponge to scrub down the bathroom wall with a home-made liquid soap and lemon mixture I'd concocted just for that purpose. The store bought cleaners usually irritated my skin and were much too toxic for me to use. My hair had been gathered into a sloppy ponytail and I was wearing a ratty old T-shirt and shorts.

My mind was so concentrated on the task at hand that I didn't hear anyone come in until the sensation of being watched prickled along my spine. I whirled around, my gaze flying across the room to find Taylor watching me intently.

My heart rate increased, at the slow, wicked smile that slowly spread across his face. His sinful expression made my stomach clench and I forced my mouth to work. "Hey."

"Hey." His eyes glinted with a hidden agenda.

"What are you doing here?"

"It's time for your second lesson."

"You mean like right now?" Taylor nodded. "But I look like…" With my hands, I gestured at my holey T-shirt and soggy shorts that should have failed to inspire any sort of sexual attraction whatsoever. If anything, my outfit screamed _vagrant_ louder than it screamed _vixen_. Besides, the gang would be home any minute now…

Taylor remained unfazed as he stared me down. "Turn around."

"And what if I don't, Taylor? What are you going to do, spank me?" I asked tartly then paused. The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them, and I wanted to cut out my tongue.

_Oh, God! Why would I even taunt him with something like that?_

An embarrassed flush mounted my cheeks at the sudden flare of sexual interest in his eyes. Taylor tilted his head marginally, his expression turning thoughtful, as if I'd just presented him with an alternative he hadn't considered before. "A spanking? You know, I just might do that if you don't turn around right now."

A jolt of electric thrill raced through my body and I quickly spun around, facing the wall.

_Why did his threat excite me so much?_

Thoughts of spankings evoked forbidden fantasies and stirred me more than I was comfortable with. The air in the bathroom thinned, forcing me to struggle for breath as I waited for what was next.

"Put your hands on the wall and keep them there."

My hands shook as I lifted and then placed them on the tiled bathroom wall. Soap suds dripped from the sponge that I still held, ran down the length of my arm and onto my T-shirt. The heavy sound of Taylor's unhurried footsteps echoed in the stillness as he approached. I shuddered, feeling Taylor's hot gaze on my back… or was it my ass?

"Let's see how good you are at doing what you're told?" The footsteps paused as Taylor stepped over the edge of the tub and into the shower with me. He crowded in behind me expertly blocking off any escape routes should I desire one. The warmth of his body coated my back, and his chest brushed against my shoulders.

"Now, spread your legs." Taylor murmured in my ear, his Spanish inflection grew heavier with each word spoken.

"I-I…" I hesitated and my stomach flip-flopped, unsure of what he was going to do.

"If you don't spread your legs, I'll spread them for you," Taylor growled with a warning that vibrated through my body.

Tentatively, I inched my legs open, mindful of the wet bathroom floor until Taylor grew impatient with my snail-like pace. Startled, I jumped when he wedged one firm thigh between my legs, using force to widen them. In my spread-eagled position, I felt exposed and was at the mercy of Taylor's whim. Vulnerable, a feeling that left me unnerved.

Two large hands reached around to cup and knead my breasts in agonizing slowness, compelling me to arch into his grasp. It was absolute torture when he dragged his thumbs across the taunt peaks of my nipple, sending an electric jolt of pleasure rushing through my entire body.

"I'm going to make you scream my name."At his confident words, my body was reduced to a quivering mass of need, more so when Taylor's hand delved into my underwear.

"If you think you can, you're welcomed to try," I opened my big mouth and challenged. The defiance in my tone surprised me. _Where on earth did that come from?_

"In case you've forgotten, I've done it before." As if to remind me, Taylor swirled his fingers around the slick entrance of my body, creating gusts of heat wherever they touched. God, it was like my entire body was on fire.

"That could've been just a fluke. You know, just a onetime thing?" My voice held a deep, sultry quality that I barely recognized.

In the midst of it all, my brain was pleading with me to shut up, but I couldn't stop myself. It was almost like my mouth was falling down a flight of stairs. I felt torn. A part of me liked having Taylor take the choice out of my hands, leaving me free to go with the flow. Yet, the other part of me rebelled against Taylor's newly revealed, dominating nature and enjoyed pushing his buttons. I wasn't about to roll over and make it easy for him.

"One of these days, I'm gonna put something in that sassy mouth of yours. But for now, I'll just have to settle for this." Before I could summon another smart reply, Taylor pushed one finger deep inside of me. It was a snug fit and it took a few moments before Taylor felt I was relaxed enough to slip his finger in all the way. Automatically, my body stiffened against the burning fullness his finger created.

I bit into my cheek, but that did nothing to hold my moan of pleasure at bay. All thoughts were lost when Taylor began to move his finger in slow, insistent strokes.

"How many lovers have you had?" Taylor queried quietly with a hardened edge to his words.

_Oh hell no!_ My temper flared up at his probing question. I was not about to answer something so personal. Especially since Taylor and I never talked about sexual experiences with our exes. "I don't think I want to answer that."

"How many men have you let fuck you?" Taylor demanded roughly, his voice low and dangerous.

A fresh heat crawled up my neck as the temperature in the room went up a few notches. This was my first time hearing Taylor curse… well in English anyway. I had no clue how to handle this new side of Taylor, sexually-explicit and raw. He slipped a hand under my T-shirt and started to slowly inch it upward. By the time his fingers closed around my nipple, I was melted putty in his talented hands.

When I still hadn't answered his question, Taylor decided to change tactics. He slid his probing finger out halfway, pressing his fingertip against my inner wall. Slowly, Taylor began to move his finger in small circles, concentrating on an area I could only describe as pure magic.

_Oh God…_

I gasped softly, feeling lightheaded from the strength of my arousal. My entire body throbbed around the invasion of his relentless finger. I was being driven half mad by his teasing.

Just as I was nearing the edge of oblivion, Taylor stopped all movement and questioned me once more. "How many?"

Oh, so that's his game? Using pleasure as a form of interrogation? Well, he could forget it. I bit into my bottom lip, refusing to answer.

I held out for a heroic ten seconds before caving like soufflé.

"One," I gasped with a tortured groan. _Bastard._

"That's good. You still have an air of… innocence around you. Innocence…" His teeth scraped against my rapidly pounding pulse. "… just begging to be… corrupted." My skin had grown sensitized to his every touch. So much so, that I became hyper-aware of the coolness of my wet T-shirt clinging to my breasts, and the warmth of his breath on my neck.

"I wonder if you taste as good as you feel." His lips brushed against my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

Sweat dampened my forehead. My arms ached and shook with the strain of keeping them on the wall. Just when it seemed like there was no room between us, Taylor proved me wrong, moving in even closer. Slowly, torturously he began to grind the ridge of his hard-on against my ass. Talk about being caught in between a rock, and quite literally, a really hard place.

"Do you feel that, _gatito_?" Taylor swept his hot tongue along the curve of my neck.

When my words failed me, I nodded in response. How the hell could I _not_ feel him? It was impossible to ignore the thick hard-on that was currently pressed up against my ass.

To add to my heightened sensations, Taylor began to squeeze and pinch my engorged nipple, mixing pleasure with pain. The dueling sensations were a new experience for me. Pain and pleasure melted together until I couldn't tell one from the other. Never did I think that aching torment and titillation could go hand in hand.

Heat flowed along my nerve-endings, my abdominal muscles began tighten as my body started to prepare itself for the approaching multitude of sensations.

I was so close. Just a few more strokes and tugs and…

Taylor's hands halted in their movement and I almost screamed in frustration. My body was strung so tightly that the slightest breeze to take me over the edge. But Taylor refused to move.

_Why is he stopping?_

"What did I say this lesson was about?"

_Why is he asking me questions at a time like this?_ I huffed and began to dig around in the heated fog of my mind. At that moment, I would've answered any question to get him to ease the aching throb between my legs.

_Let's see how good you are at doing what you're told…_

_Put your hands on the wall and keep them there…_

It all suddenly clicked and I murmured, "Obedience."

"So?" The fingers clutching my breast flexed under my hand that covered it. I wasn't even aware when I'd moved it.

After I returned it to its place on the wall, Taylor crooned, "Good girl." His words of approval thrilled me for some strange reason.

I was rewarded for my obedience when Taylor began to stroke at me, inside and out, with his fingers. Scorching wildfire raced throughout my body, curling my toes and making me mewl with delight.

"That's it. Don't think or worry about control. All you have to do is feel," Taylor encouraged, increasing the pace of his assault.

Taylor was true to his promise. It wasn't long before pure ecstasy tore his name from my lips in a harsh cry. My body began to convulse and tighten around his finger. My trembling legs would've given out, if Taylor hadn't been holding me up.

"And that was just the beginning." Taylor slipped his hands from beneath my clothes.

Once I was able to stand on my own and regained my ability to speak again, I asked, "There's more?" My words came out as a breathless moan. If Taylor was this incredible with his hands, then I could only imagine how mind-blowing the sex would be.

"We're just getting started. Turn around."

On unsteady legs, I turned to meet his gaze.

Taylor's darkened eyes were wild and his expression, slightly feral as though it had taken all of his self-control not to strip me naked and bend me over the edge of the tub.

I opened my mouth to receive the ravenous thrust of his tongue. Surrendering to the mastery of his kiss, I threw my arms around his neck and brought myself against the hard wall of his chest. In barely concealed desperation, Taylor dragged my hand away from his neck, lowering it onto the rigid swell of his crotch. He groaned into my mouth when I grasped his arousal, compelling him to buck into my hand.

"Hey, Izzy. You home?" Zach's voice startled us out of our kissing and Taylor muttered a soft curse.

Sounds of harsh breathing filled the tense air as we reluctantly peeled ourselves off each other. Desperately, I scrambled, trying to rearrange my clothing before Zach found us. Running my still shaking hands through my hair, I made an effort to tame the unruly strands that had escaped my ponytail. In the corner of my eye, I noticed Taylor's lack of movement, but I didn't have time to pause and ponder on the inner workings of the man's mind. I was too busy trying to appear as if Taylor and I weren't about to mount each other a few seconds ago.

When Zach appeared in the doorway, his eyes landed on us and he stopped dead in his tracks. I held my breath as he stared at us, his eyebrows drawing together in stunned confusion.

There was a brief pause before a large grin illuminated Zach's face. "What's ah… what's going on, guys?"

As if he had to ask. My cheeks were flushed, hair mussed and lips swollen. Not to mention the fact that I was still aroused as hell.

"Nothing," I answered much too quickly then added, "Taylor was just ah… helping me scrub the shower." I cursed inwardly, thinking that my excuse sounded flimsy, even to my own ears.

Zach's eyes darted to Taylor's motionless form and stayed there. His eyebrows flew up into his hairline and I turned to see what Zach was staring at. My eyes widened in mortification before I grimaced at the picture Taylor made.

Taylor's grey T-shirt was wet and plastered to his pectoral muscles. And to make matters worse, Taylor was still staring at me like he was a starving man and I was a happy meal. Luckily, his erection (hidden by his tee) couldn't be seen unless one was looking for it. And boy was I looking. I was looking so damn hard that I'd almost forgotten that Zach was still in the room, observing our interaction closely. You could practically smell the horniness in the air.

"I can see how much he's been helping you," Zach remarked, his mouth slanting into a wry smile and his eyes drifted down my body.

Confused, I glanced down at myself to find that the evidence was even more incriminating. My white tee was identically soaked from the soap water and my pink, erect nipples were on full display for all to see.

I let out a humiliated squeak, quickly throwing my arms over my chest to cover breasts from view.

Of course, Zach found humor in my abashed reaction. "Oh relax. Leah has _way_ hotter tits."

Once more, I gasped, but this time with outrage. I grabbed my detachable sprayer head, pointed it toward Zach and soaked him where he stood. He tried to run only to skid on the slippery ground and go flying into my bedroom. There was a soft thud as he landed in an undignified heap on the carpet. "Damn it, Izzy! Real mature!"

_Not laughing now, are you Zach? _I heard his plaintive mutterings as he got up and left, presumably to go change out of his wet clothes.

Ryan's boisterous laugh alerted me that we had additional company in the apartment and I bit back a sigh. It appeared that Taylor picked a bad time for a lesson.

As he strode toward the door, Taylor held me hostage with his gaze as he brought a hand toward his mouth. A furious wave of heat dashed up my cheeks when he licked his finger clean. The erotic moment was broken when he exited the bathroom, leaving me drowning in heat.

Fighting back a groan of frustration, I yanked the shower curtain closed. I turned the water on and stood under spray, letting it soak me, clothes and all. I was in dire need of a cold shower.

* * *

After my impromptu shower, I was in the process of towel drying my hair when Zach returned, wearing dry clothes.

"Looks like _somebody_ had a shower. Was it a cold one?" Zach teased.

"Zach, I-" I began only to have Zach cut me off.

"Relax, Izzy. I won't say anything about whatever it was I walked in on. I am not that guy," Zach reassured as he sat on my bed. I heaved a sigh of relief until his smile turned dirty. "But just so I know… What did I walk in on?"

"Like I said, Taylor was just helping me scrub the shower." That was the most Zach would get out of me.

Zach rolled his eyes and backed off. "Fine. But you might wanna let Liz know that you're gonna be _scrubbing showers_ with her brother." He concluded with a naughty wriggle of his eyebrows.

Taylor and I weren't exactly sneaking around. When we were with our friends, we were the same people we'd always been. But then again we'd always been kind of touchy feely with each other. So short of making out in front of everyone, there was no need to act any differently.

I barely resisted the urge to roll my eyes and asked the question that had been on the tip of my tongue. "So, how was your visit?"

"I had a _real_ good time." Zach smiled his _cat the got the cream_ grin, but his smile slipped a fraction. "But your dad is one scary mother, Izzy."

"Scary? My dad's a little intimidating maybe, but not scary." I teased, remembering all the times he gave poor Edward the third degree.

"He practically threatened to make me disappear if I wasn't _on the up and up_." Zach made quotation marks with his fingers.

"Okay, that sounds a little like Charlie." I thought it was cute the way Charlie was trying to look out for Leah and wondered how she felt about it.

I was jolted out of my musings when Zach suddenly asked, "So, what's up with that Sam guy?"

My eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Sam? What do you mean?"

"It's just that, for a guy that supposed to be happily married to Leah's cousin, he seems really preoccupied with Leah." Zach's expression grew darker with each passing word.

_Oh crap_. "What happened?"

"Nothing really happened. You know I'm an instinct kinda guy, right?" He continued after I nodded. "Leah wasn't happy to see him when he just showed up at her house, and then at the party, it sort of felt like I walked in on a lover's quarrel or something. Is there something going on between them?" Zach seemed genuinely concerned.

"No, absolutely not. There's nothing going on." _At least, not anymore_.

"Then what? They used to be an item?"

My gaze darted away hesitantly, and I weakly continued with towel drying my hair. I didn't want to be the one to spill Leah's secrets, but when my towel was rudely yanked out of my hands, I had no choice but to make eye contact with Zach.

Zach's easygoing smile was sorely missed as he scrutinized my face, looking for answers. A heavy frown marred his features a second before realization dawned and anger flashed in his eyes. "I'm right. Aren't I, Izzy? They used to be an item until what? Did he ditch her for her cousin?"

All I could do was gawk at Zach in utter amazement. _Un-frickin-believable!_ Was he some kind of mind reading wizard? Zach's uncanny ability to put two and two together was just flat out freaky.

Even though I was surprised, I probably shouldn't have been. Out of all of my friends, Zach was the most observant.

"You should really talk to Leah about this, Zach. I can't say anything." It felt wrong to talk about Leah's business behind her back. He wouldn't get confirmation, not from me.

"Yeah, I think I'll do that," Zach murmured distractedly, his hand tightening on the damp towel in his lap.

Attempting to minimize the mess I was making, I gathered my dripping hair over one shoulder and tossed Zach a meaningful look. "Can I have my towel back please?"

Zach started a bit at the sound of my voice and handed me back the towel, watching as I resumed the act of drying my moist locks. "Oh, by the way, I met Jacob Black."

My hand only froze for a second and I forced my tone to remain even. "Really? Did you talk to him?"

"Yeah right." Zach's derisive snort drew my gaze momentarily and I rolled my eyes.

Of course Zach would never willing talk to Jacob. In his eyes, Jacob was jerk who hurt his friend. If only I could have explained the number of times Jacob Black saved me from insanity and from myself. I didn't blame him for finally turning his back on me. It was no less than I deserved for all the times I'd disappointed him in the past. I tried to take comfort in the fact that Carmen was taking good care of him now, only to be surprised by the small twinge of pain that thought caused me.

With renewed determination, I tucked those feelings away in my Jacob box. Thoughts of the past would do me no good now, especially since I couldn't do a thing to change it.

"Leah introduced me to all her friends and I gotta say, Izzy… all of the guys were huge. It was _weird_."

I wasn't sure if he was asking whether or not there was anything supernatural going on with the pack, but I wasn't taking any chances. _No way!_ Zach was not going to do his weird face reading thing on me again.

I made a show of drying my hair while secretly using it to shield my telltale flush. "Yeah, I always used to ask what they were feeding those guys," I joked lamely and to make it sound convincing, I even added a small laugh.

A quick peek through my hair confirmed that Zach didn't appear to be suspicious, merely curious. I thanked my lucky stars that unlike vampires, there weren't any descriptions in their legends on what a werewolf was suppose to look like. No one ever heard _hey, look out for giant, muscle-bound, and overheated Native Americans because they might be werewolves_.

"You know… your dad asked me about Taylor." Zach's mouth curved into a sneaky smile.

I was immediately on alert. "Why would he ask about…? What did you say?"

"He just wanted to know what kind of guy Taylor is because he was all over you in some picture."

"Taylor was _not_ all over me." _Crap!_ I knew I shouldn't have sent him that picture of us at the lake house.

"He was kissing you on the head."

"That was a small peck."

Zach cocked an eyebrow in disbelief, but I was determined to stick by my statement. Compared to what Taylor just did to me in the bathroom earlier, that kiss on the forehead _was_ a small peck.

"Well, whatever. I just told him that Taylor is a nice guy. You know, all that shit a dad wants to hear."

"I guess that's not _so_ bad." I relaxed a fraction only to immediately tense back up when Zach announced.

"Oh and he's probably gonna run a background check Taylor."

What the hell? "Zach!"

"What did you expect, Izzy? Your dad's the chief of police. Just be grateful that he hasn't asked to meet Taylor… yet."

Something told me that Charlie might just do that someday in the near future. That realization unnerved me because although Taylor was a genuinely great guy, he might not be able measure up in my father's Jacob loving eyes. I wondered if anyone ever would.

"Anyway, I got laundry that needs washing." Zach stood and sauntered to my bedroom door, but before reaching it, he stopped and turned around with a hopeful look on his face. "Unless, you wanna do my laundry for me?"

"I don't think so. Wash your own drawers," I laughed and threw a pillow which he caught before tossing it back. It was enough that I kept him fed. I drew the line at touching his dirty underwear.

Zach's smile faded and he regarded me with a seriousness that made me uneasy.

"What's wrong, Zach?"

"I just… About Taylor…"

"Oh my God, Zach. Would you just let it go?" _Jeez, what a perv._

"Look I couldn't call myself a friend if I didn't say this. Just be careful. All right?"

"What do you mean? Be careful of what?"

"With Taylor… Be careful around Taylor. He's… You know what? Never mind."

As Zach turned to leave, I launched myself off the bed and grabbed hold of his arm. "Taylor's what?" When he seemed unwilling to elaborate, I pressed, "Come on, Zach. You can't just warn me about Taylor and expect me not to ask any questions. What are you talking about?"

When Zach refused to meet my gaze, I began to realize why he was so hesitant. Zach knew Taylor's secret! "You know about Taylor."

His head snapped up. "He told you?"

"No. I just have my suspicions. Nothing solid to go on. He promised to tell me when he's ready, but I see he had no problem tell you." I couldn't believe it. Everyone knew but me!

"Don't get upset, Izzy. He didn't have a choice. When you live with someone, things like that are kinda hard to miss." Zach shook his head with a smile.

"I'm glad you find this funny. How could he trust you over me?" I was used to being the one in on the secret, not the one on the outside looking in.

Zach immediately took offense to my reaction. "Hey, in case you've forgotten. I'm a trustworthy guy, Izzy."

"Oh and I'm not trustworthy?"

"Would you quit acting like a girl and listen to what I'm telling you. The guy didn't have a choice. He kind of owed me the truth after everything that happened."

"All right, spill it." Folding my arms across my chest, I put on the sternest expression on my face.

"I'm sorry, Izzy. I can't tell you Taylor's secret. It would be a betrayal."

"Fine. Could you at least tell me how you found out?" _At least give me that much._

Zach shrugged. "Like I said, Izzy. When you live with someone, you can't help but notice when things seem a little… off. It was only small stuff, though. Nothing big happened until two months ago."

Zach had my undivided attention and I nodded enthusiastically for him to continue. "You know Taylor's really into the whole meditation and yoga thing, right?"

"I've seen him meditate but I didn't know he does yoga too." I frowned.

"Taylor's not just into it. He needs that stuff, Izzy. It's like it keeps him calm and in control. Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself." Zach shook his head and tried to get back on track. "So a few months ago, I came home really late from the library and the apartment was in darkness. I just thought that Taylor was already asleep or something. So I dumped my shit on the floor and decided to go catch some sleep myself. When I got to my room, I noticed that Taylor's door was open. Normally, I wouldn't look into another guy's bedroom but…" Zach paused.

"But what? What did you see?" I pushed impatiently.

"Taylor wasn't asleep as I assumed. He was just standing there in the dark. He had his back to me, so I couldn't see his face. But something just seemed… unnatural about how still he was. I don't know why I did it, but I called out to him, asking if he was okay. He turned around so fast and…" Zach's haunted expression was reminiscent of day he found out about the Cullens.

"And what?" I pressed, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"It was Taylor only it wasn't. I don't know. It was too dark to get a good look at his face. But I caught a glimpse of his hands, Izzy. He didn't have hands anymore, he had claws. Claws with long nails that looked sharp as hell." Zach drew in a ragged breath. "I was like _Dude, what is up with your hands?_ And do you know what he did? What finally got my ass moving? He growled at me, Izzy. _Fucking growled. _It was like nothing I'd ever heard before. It started out as a growl but ended like a hiss." Zach was visibly shaken as he ran a slightly trembling hand through his hair.

"I'd barely made it into my room and closed the door before Taylor slammed into it. He kept making growl like, hissing noises and scratching at the door, so I dragged my bureau over and used it as a barricade. And you _know_ how heavy that shit is. I guess the prospect of being gutted is enough motivation to turn me into Superman, huh?" Zach offered me a tight smile.

"What happened afterward?" I asked, feeling the cold tendrils of fear in my stomach.

"After a while the scratching and hissing stopped. I think it lost interest or something." It unnerved me, hearing Zach refer to Taylor as an _it_.

"Did you hear anymore noises that night?"

Zach shook his head. "Nothing like the growling from before. Just the sound of stuff getting thrown around."

"Why didn't you use your cell to call for help?" The moment the question left my lips, I paused. _Who the hell could he call?_

"Because I left it in my bag by the front door. I didn't get a minute of sleep that night. I hadn't been so freaked out since I found out about your _undead friends_." Zach shuddered at the memory.

"So what happened in the morning?"

"Ryan and Liz knocked on my door, asking if I was okay, but I wasn't taking any chances. How did I know they weren't all pod people? It took them at least two hours to get me to open up the door."

I frowned in recollection. "I remember that morning. Liz and Ryan were so jumpy and Taylor didn't show up for breakfast at all. When I asked about you, they told me that you had a twenty-four hour bug."

"After they convinced me to come out of my room, Taylor sat me down and told me the truth, I needed a little time to wrap my mind around it." Zach smiled wanly to himself.

"How… I don't understand how you're still sharing an apartment with him. If it was as creepy as you making me believe, why haven't you moved?"

A question niggled at my brain. _If it had been me, would I be able to keep living with Taylor?_

"Well, for one thing, I have extra locks on my door and sleep with a bat now." When his attempt at humor failed to have its soothing effect on me, Zach became serious. He grasped me by the shoulders and forced me to look at him. "Plus, I know that Taylor could have easily gotten into my room if he really wanted to."

"Are you trying to say that he stopped himself?"

"I don't think so. He doesn't really remember what happened. When _it_ takes over, Taylor goes to sleep."

"Then why did it stop?" I was on the verge of panic. I needed to know that Taylor was still conscious of his actions when he turned into… _it_.

Zach was just as frustrated as I was. "I don't know, Izzy. Maybe on some level _it _knew who I was."

"Do you know what made him turn into that… thing?" Oh God, now I was doing it too. Calling Taylor a thing.

"His dad called, they argued and he lost his temper. That's what happens when he loses his temper." Zach shrugged lazily.

"Do you think he'll try to hurt me? Is that why you're warning me?" _Please say no._

"No. I just don't want you to be completely blindsided if he ever loses his temper around you. And if you're important to Taylor like Ryan is important to Liz, he won't hurt you."

I frowned at that. _What did that mean?_

Zach shook his head when I started to ask this, making it clear that he would elaborate no further on the topic. The wheels were already starting to turn in my head as I began to recall the argument between Taylor and Walter and the mention of an intended. It was pretty clear that Walter had been Catalina's intended.

Edward's words replayed in my mind. _Taylor's decided what you mean to him. The way he sees you has changed. His sister's the same way. Once they've made up their mind, it can never be changed._

So that must have meant that Ryan was Liz's intended. _But what's an intended?_ That was the million dollar question.

"You know, Izzy, until I met you, my life was completely normal. I didn't know about vampires or any of that other weird shit. I gotta admit it's kind of exciting, being in the whole supernatural, secret stuff. But I'm just glad that I get to have something normal and _human_ with Lee. I really don't think I could deal with anymore of that stuff." He offered me a tired smile before leaving me alone in my room.

For the first time, I began to have doubts about Zach's ability to handle Leah's secret. Not everyone handled _the person I'm dating has supernatural shit going on_ news as well as I did. Maybe a werewolf would be too much for him.

And then there was Taylor. If what Zach said was true, did I even want to get wrapped up in another supernatural relationship with some guy?

_Some guy?_ I snorted silently. Taylor Reed wasn't just some guy. He was… important to me. And then to find out that he grew claws and god only knew what else, whenever he got pissed. What the hell was I supposed to do with that?

Mind in turmoil, I began to pace in the room in agitation. _Great! Just when I thought I had some idea what I was getting into, Taylor just up and grows claws, and now all my knowledge goes up in flames._

_Jeez maybe I should give up on men and become a lesbian,_ I thought only to let out a humorless snort.

_Yeah right_. With my luck, my girlfriend would turn out to be a witch.

I forced myself to stop worrying when I began to experience yet another one of my killer headaches. I was getting way ahead of myself. I had no idea of knowing whether or not Taylor considered me intended potential anyway. And there would be lots of time to ease Zach into Leah's secret. There was nothing I could have done about Taylor's and Leah's issues, so I would have to wait and see how everything played out.

* * *

A couple of days later, I went to the doctor's office to get a check-up and have my stitches removed. And boy what a relief it was, except for the itching. I was happy to be stitch and walking cane free, having received a clean bill of health from my doctor. He recommended something to help reduce the appearance of my scars, but I knew that nothing would be able to make them disappear completely. Taylor was so lucky that the scar on his head would be entirely hidden by his hair. He laughed quietly when I groused this to him, and gently kissed my scars, referring to them as my war wounds. I didn't complain so much after that.

With our winter semester fast approaching, I'd completely forgotten that Liz still hadn't given me my Christmas present yet. Of course, Liz just had to scare the bejesus out of me when she finally decided to give it to me.

I had just sat down on my toilet to pee when Liz burst through my bathroom door. "Surprise!"

"What the hell, Liz!" I screamed and tried to pull my pants up from around my ankles.

"What? I'm here to give you your Christmas present."

"Liz, I'm on the toilet." I gave up on my pants and yanked my T-shirt over my lap.

"So? You're just peeing right?" My mouth fell open at her nonchalance. Liz saw nothing wrong about her being in the toilet with me.

"Well, yes." I admitted reluctantly. "But that's beside the point. I can't talk to you while I'm on the toilet."

Liz rolled her eyes and sighed, "Fine. Well, go ahead and finish, then we'll talk." Folding her arms, Liz tapped her feet impatiently as she waited for me to finish.

"Liz, get out!" Why the hell wouldn't she leave?

"What? I'm not talking to you, so hurry it up."

"I can't go with you looking at me." An embarrassed blush crept up my cheeks. It might have been childish, but I just couldn't squeeze a drop with Liz watching. With her green eyes, it felt like Taylor was watching me pee and frankly… I would rather die.

"Oh, for crying out loud." Liz threw her hands up in frustration and left the room in a huff.

Jeez, sometimes Liz took the sister thing too far.

Once I was finished in the bathroom, I went into my room where Liz sat waiting for me. Her recent annoyance appeared to have been forgotten as she beamed at me, bursting with excitement.

Wearily, I sat next to Liz on the bed and waited for her big announcement. "I signed us up for belly dancing classes."

"What?" Out of all the things I expected, that was last.

"Now, before you say no, just listen to all the reason why you should do it." Liz stood and began to count off the benefits with her fingers. "Its great exercise, builds muscle tone, is a wonderful stress reliever and I hear they say that it also improves your sensuality and stuff," Liz concluded with a naughty wink.

"Okay." I agreed but Liz didn't seem to hear me.

"Oh come on, Izzy. It would be something we could do togeth-"

I decided to stop her before she went off on a tirade. "Liz, I said okay."

"Really? I don't have to wrestle you or anything?" Liz appeared doubtful.

"Really. It sounds like fun." I smiled softly and silently wondered what Taylor would say when he heard about our lessons. As it happened, learning to belly dance would turn out to be a pivotal development in my life.

Liz seemed impressed that I'd caved so easily and hell, I was feeling pretty good about it myself. I'd made progress. Belly dancing was something new, exciting and a little scary and yet, I wasn't running for the door. Instead, I was looking forward to it.

My smile abruptly faded when Liz said, "When we're finished with belly dancing, I'm gonna sign us up for the pole dancing class."

* * *

**A/N: **Damn, this chapter was a bitch to write. I'm trying to keep the sexy scenes tasteful, but damn if Bella and Taylor aren't taking to me some... interesting areas. It's a thin line folks. Don't know how I'm going to keep things tasteful in the next chapter though... Damn.

Wow, your responses in the last chapter were overwhelming. I guess you guys know how you want your story. _Bitch, don't you change my story_. I heard you guys loud and clear.

Also, don't forget to check and make sure you've **enable your PM's** so I can send you your teasers. Some of you had yours turned off.

**Back to the story: **Angela, that girl gets weirder and weirder every time we hear about her.

Taylor's second lesson. Who wants to trade places with Bella?

Will Zach be able to handle Leah's secret?

What did you guys think about Zach's story? I know it creeped me the hell out. Let me hear your thoughts.

Liz just doesn't know how to respect boundaries. Bella, the poor girl can't pee in peace.

What do you think about Liz's belly dancing present?

I'm so excited for the next chapter... humor, embarrassment, sexiness and terror.

**Review **and receive your **teasers** people!


	54. Doing a one woman show

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
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**A/N: You can thank my pre-reader Dirtychicken, the dirtiest chicken around, for editing this chapter for me.  
**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

**WARNING: **Please be advised, mild sexual content in this chapter.**  
**

* * *

Chapter 54

Rhonda's Dance Studio was just a few blocks away from our apartment. In addition to belly dancing classes, the studio also offered pole, tango and salsa dancing classes.

Liz and I had agonized for hours over what to wear to our first class. In the end, I settled on yoga pants with a camisole, while Liz opted for a pair of fitted sweatpants with a tank top. We completed our look with a couple of hip scarves decorated with gold coins.

For all her previous excitement, Liz was almost as nervous as I was when we first walked into the studio. There were sixteen women in our class, ranging from ages twenty to fifty. We couldn't have been any more different, but we'd all come to the class hoping for the same thing: the chance to try some new and maybe gain a little self-confidence along the way.

From the easy banter of a few of the women, I assumed that some of them were returning students. When Liz and I first arrived, we tried to discretely slink to the back of the class, but we were spotted and then swarmed by the self appointed welcome wagon. Knowing how nerve-racking the first class could be, they were quick to offer up some words of encouragement to the new girls. We all took turns introducing ourselves and explaining why we signed up. Some of the women were hoping to become professionals, some were just looking for a new hobby, while others were more interested in the fitness aspect of belly dancing.

The chitchat faded when a voluptuous, dark-haired woman in her forties emerged from the hallway. All eyes were riveted on the instructor, Rhonda, as she sashayed to the front of the class, stopping with her back to the mirrors. At her signal, exotic, Middle Eastern music began to pour through the speakers, and she kicked off the class giving us a demonstration of what we were all there to learn. Her choreography was fluid, arms fluttered through the air like ribbons in the wind. It was more than her graceful movements. It was the rapturous expression etched unto her face that said that Rhonda had been born to dance.

Her quiet confidence and obvious comfort with her body was a bit disheartening, making me despair at my own lack of grace, until she explained that dance was about using and appreciating the _assets_ we'd been blessed with. It didn't matter what size we were, small or… not so small. When it came to belly dancing, there was no _perfect body_.

We were given a brief introduction to belly dance in which the instructor defined the numerous styles and their origins. Afterward, she took us through a warm-up, showing us proper posture and basic isolations. There was lots of giggling throughout the shoulder shimmying, hip pistons and belly rolling exercises. In the beginning the moves felt awkward, but as time marched on I began to get the hang of it. It helped a lot that no one poked fun whenever a newbie messed up.

During a short break, we sat on cushions choosing stage names for ourselves. After mulling names around in my mind, I settled on Yasmin because of its exotic feel. I was privately horrified when Liz began to lean toward Victoria. Although it took a fair amount of persuading on my part, my persistence paid off when she decided on Selena instead.

Coming down to the last hour of the class Rhonda had us incorporate all of the moves learned so far, in a basic routine. As we practiced our moves, Rhonda walked around correcting postures and making recommendations. Liz needed to work on her basic isolations, and I was instructed to practice my arm framings.

By the end of class, I was sweaty, exhausted and completely addicted. I could hardly wait for the next class.

* * *

Taylor and I were having lunch together in the Dining Hall when we were interrupted by someone I'd been hoping to avoid since last year.

I was doing or attempting to do some reading before my next class, but I was finding it hard to concentrate. Perhaps it had something to do with the man, who was once again staring at me when he was supposed to be doing some reading of his own.

When I'd finally decided that I'd had enough of reading the same line over and over, I murmured, "Stop."

"Stop what?" Taylor asked in a vaguely amused tone.

"Stop… _looking_." I refused to look at him, choosing instead to keep my eyes on words I barely registered.

"Why?"

"Because it's rude to stare." I aimed a look at him that was meant to chastise, but my budding smile ruined it. When he offered me a deceptively innocent smile, I pressed, "Seriously, what is up with the staring? Is it like a guy thing, a Spanish thing or what?" Taylor made me feel like he could stare at me all day long without getting bored.

He looked thoughtful for a moment before commenting, "I'm not sure. In Spain, it was perfectly normal for a man to notice a pretty woman. Maybe it's a Spanish thing. Or on second thought, maybe it's a guy thing." He ended with a smile that said he was just teasing me.

Reaching out my hand, I swiped one of his fries and popped it into my mouth.

"Oh, so I can't look at you, but you can steal my fries?" A cocky grin and the loss of another fry was his answer. "You know, I offered to buy you your own fries earlier and you said no."

"I wasn't hungry then." I went on to wash down his fries with his drink. There was something so intimate about drinking from someone else's straw.

"Well, if you're going to start stealing my food then you should come closer." Dark amusement swirled in his emerald depths and I became wary.

Before I could so much as blink, Taylor grabbed the handle of my chair and pulled hard, eliminating any distance between us. The chair scraped loudly against the floor, drawing curious stares from the people sitting around us. Under their scrutiny, a familiar heat came to my cheeks and deepened when Taylor brushed some hair off my sensitive neck. In spite of myself, I shuddered at the deceptively innocent caress of his cool fingers.

"Taylor, people are staring at us." I was struck with a sudden bout of shyness.

Never being a man of many words, Taylor murmured, "Don't care."

He threw an arm around my shoulder and went back to reading, but I still couldn't concentrate. Not when I was so preoccupied with the feel of his hard thigh pressing up against my leg.

It wasn't long before I found myself studying his handsome features. The dark sweep of his brow furrowed together in absorption. His dark hair hung a little lower than usual. He was getting a bit shaggy. At first glance, one might have summed Taylor's looks up as pretty. That observation was disputed by his strong jaw and the angular lines of his face, which added a masculine quality to his visage.

But as my gaze continued to linger, I began to sense that there was a darkness inside of Taylor that he always kept carefully hidden. I suspected that it had something to do with the clawed creature that was a part of him.

An involuntary shiver shot up my spine as I recalled Zach's chilling tale of his harrowing encounter with it. It was so difficult to believe that Taylor had something dangerous inside of him. But now that I thought about it, it made perfect sense. There'd always been a sort of feral intensity with an underlying potential for violence in Taylor. An undeniable air of danger that appeared to follow him wherever he went.

A ghost of a smile hovered around his mouth before he softly teased, "You're staring." Under the playfulness of his tone, I sensed a strain. Almost as if Taylor was struggling to keep the atmosphere between us light.

"I guess I am," I retorted unapologetically.

This time when Taylor twisted in his chair to regard me, I didn't look away. His head tilted to the side marginally as he stared back at me. Discreetly, I wondered if the other part of him was watching me as well. Oddly enough, the thought aroused more than it scared me. I always did have a thing for monsters and enjoyed flirting with danger.

Our staring competition was cut short by an intruder. "Hey, Izzy. Can I talk to you for a minute?"

I turned away from Taylor to find Dillon at our table and fought back a groan. By my constant avoidance, I was hoping he would take the hint and leave me alone. But his presence indicated that I hadn't been successful in getting the message across. I guess Ryan had been too subtle with that humiliating scene he made when he chased Dillon down the street.

If people weren't staring before, they were staring now. Everyone knew about the bad blood that existed between the men and were probably hoping for a showdown. That showdown would not be happening, not if I had anything to say about it. I needed to quit being chicken and handle this situation myself.

"Taylor, would you give us a minute, please?" I asked, hoping that Taylor wouldn't think that I was going to take Dillon back. This conversation needed to happen. As uncomfortable as it was, Dillon and I needed closure.

Taylor's displeased gaze shifted from Dillon to me. The line of his mouth hardened, but he wordlessly rose from his chair, stalking away to sit two tables down from us. He turned his attention toward his book, in an attempt to give us the illusion of privacy.

Dillon sat down in the empty chair next to me, after I gestured for him to do so. Not much had changed about Dillon Buchanon. He had the same blond hair, blue eyes and athletic build. But in place of his cocky, _I own the world _smile; there was an expression I'd never seen on him before. Regret.

"I just wanted to say that…" Dillon sighed and raked a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry for the way things went down last year. And I want you to know that the keg party was the only time I slept with Amber. It just sort of happened."

"I don't understand. How did it just happen?" I didn't get how two people just fell into bed together.

"I was drunk and mad that you left the party with Taylor. And then Amber showed up in my room…" His voice trailed off leaving me to figure out what happened afterward.

I reminded myself to lighten up on him, that Amber used him to get back at me. And that I wasn't completely innocent of any wrongdoing.

For one thing, throughout our relationship, I did a pretty decent job of keeping Dillon at arm's length. For another, I hadn't been honest with him about my budding feelings for Taylor. Even though, I didn't act on those feelings, in a way I'd cheated too.

Dillon was surprised when I spoke up. "Look, you not a terrible guy, Dillon. I'm not gonna to pretend that what you did wasn't hurtful and just plain wrong. But… everybody makes mistakes and I know you didn't mean to hurt me." I drew in a breath before adding, "And I… I'm sorry that I kneed you."

It appeared that Taylor wasn't the only one with a temper that needed restraining. If Amber had been a different type of person, I might have considered apologizing to her. Note I said the words might have. After all, the girl did sleep with my boyfriend and arrange for me to find out about it in a horrible way. Although hitting her gave me an immense amount of satisfaction, I shouldn't have gone there and stooped to her level. Normally the thought of violence would make me cringe, but Amber pushed me too far. Weirdly enough, our fight had little to do with Dillon. I was prepared to walk away, but her taunts and threats to go after Taylor was what finally made me snap.

"You don't have to apologize, Izzy. I kinda deserved it." Dillon admitted in chagrin. "Look, I know I have no right to ask this but… Do you think we could still be friends?"

"I don't know, Dillon. Maybe." It would have been the mature, adult thing to say yes, but I just wasn't quite there yet.

"Maybe's not a no." Dillon grinned hopefully and I rolled my eyes in amused irritation. Dillon Buchanon would never change.

"Well, anyway. I should get going before your boyfriend runs over here and punches me again." Dillon jerked his chin at Taylor, who frowned back at him in suspicion.

"Wait a minute, boyfriend?" I began and Dillon held up his hand to stop me.

"Don't even bother, Izzy. I might be a lot of things, but blind isn't one of them." I didn't know what to say to that, so I remained silent. Dillon stood up from the table. "I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, see ya," I replied and began to gather my stuff. My class was about to start in a few minutes.

Dillon left to go sit with his friends and Taylor reached my table just as I was getting ready to stand.

"Hey. You all right?"

"Yeah. I'm good." _And relieved that I could finally stop dodging my ex-boyfriend_. "I gotta get to class."

"Come on. I'll walk you there."

"Aw that's so sweet. Are you gonna carry my books too?" I continued to tease him as we walked out of the hall.

When Taylor stayed silent and looked away, I thought I spied a slight change in his coloration. _No way!_

"Oh my God. Are you blushing?" I giggled and extended a finger to poke his cheek.

Before my hand was able to make contact, Taylor captured and brought it to his lips. His hot breath swept across my skin as he kissed the center of my palm. He fixed me with a heated stare and suddenly, I was the one blushing.

* * *

A couple of weeks later, I was alone in the apartment when I decided to take a bath. I was somewhat disappointed that I'd managed to complete that task unmolested by Taylor and another one of his lessons. God knows he had the uncanny habit of materializing out of thin air when I was alone. With jittery anticipation, I wondered what and when the next lesson would be.

The memory of his last lesson gave me a shiver as I sat on my bed naked, blow-drying my hair. Lately, I'd discovered the joy of walking around in the nude, and as Liz and Ryan were out, I decided not to let the opportunity pass. I wouldn't dare walk around naked while Liz was in the apartment. Especially since she seemed to be allergic to knocking and liked to barge into my room whenever she pleased. One of these days I planned to give her a taste of her own medicine and see how she liked it.

I dug into my dresser drawer in search of a decent pair of underwear only to discover that my pickings were slim. That was unacceptable. I groaned, just imagining Liz's excitement and Alice's complaints once they learned about my sudden desire to go underwear shopping. Alice's complaint being that she wouldn't be able to go with us.

It was strange, the way things changed. In my teenaged years, I wanted to be a vampire so I could have eternity with Edward. What a naive child I was for wanting forever, without ever stopping to think about what it would mean to truly be immortal. No one could blame me for wanting to spend the rest of my life with the man I loved, but in the end, the payment for such a life would've been too high.

Now don't get me wrong, I was still coming to terms with the whole aging and dying thing. Some progress had been made. Of course, not having a perfect, unchanging boyfriend around to unintentionally taunt me with immortality helped a lot.

When I was finished with my hair, I stood in front of the mirror on my closet door, observing myself from head to toe. Thanks to the dryer, my hair hung a bit straighter. I wasn't voluptuous by any means, but I still had curves. Any weight gained over the years had been toned by daily exercise. My gaze dropped to my neatly trimmed triangle, and I wondered if Taylor liked his women bare. Maybe I should go Brazilian and give him a heart attack the next time he decided to stick his hand down my pants.

The thought made me smile. As a preteen, I remembered being so fascinated by the puberty process. Each day I would rush home from school, strip naked and search my body for any changes. By the time I grew my first pubic hair, I was exultant. _Puberty at last!_ For weeks after my first sighting, I'd examine myself in the mirror from every angle. But eventually the novelty of having pubic hair wore off and I never really looked again.

Belly dancing gave me a new found confidence and appreciation for my body. Despite Edward's reassurances, I'd never truly believed that I was beautiful. And in only seeing myself as sickly pale, plain and clumsy, I never really loved myself. But with each passing day, I was learning how. I'd never be vain enough to call myself stunning, but for the first time I was starting to see myself. And whenever Taylor called me adorable and beautiful, I believed it. Not because he saw me that way, but because I saw myself that way.

Listening to Liz and Ryan going at it every night would make anybody horny as hell. And yes I would admit that there'd been a few nights when I'd chosen to forgo the use of my earplugs. Before, I used to wonder what all the noise was about, but now I knew.

I closed my eyes and dug up a recent memory of Taylor. I was walking down the hallway on my way to use the gym in the building's health club, when I passed the door that led to the indoor swimming pool. I caught a glimpse of what looked like a man using the pool and for some reason, stopped to take a gander. As I stood admiring the strong muscles in the man's back, I recognized the tattoo and realized that it was Taylor. Almost as if he sensed my stare, Taylor stopped and looked around the room until he discovered me. He pushed the wet hair out of his eyes, smiling at my obvious embarrassment at being caught gawking. Taylor raised his hand as if to call me over, but it was too late. I was already on my way out the door, mentally chastising myself for carrying on like a woman fresh out of prison.

With my eyes still closed, my head fell back and altered the details into a pool fantasy, where I didn't run and Taylor and I were the only ones in there.

My moment of nearing fulfillment was ruined when Liz suddenly opened my door. "Hey, Izzy. We're ordering Chinese -" Her speech was cut off the second her gaze connected with mine.

The silence hung heavily in the air as we stared at each other. One of us gasped, I'm not sure which. But I knew the small scream came from me as I sat up and clamped my legs together with my hand still trapped between them.

The expression on Liz's face flittered from shock to scandalize before finally settling on impish. Between giggles and snorts, Liz said, "Oh God… I-I'm sorry… Y-you go ahead and um… finish." She quickly closed the door, but the move did nothing to lessen her witch-like cackle.

Suddenly freed from my paralyzed prison, I leapt off the bed with a tiny cry and sprinted into my bathroom. With shaking hands, I quickly secured myself in my robe before sinking to the floor in abject horror.

I'd never been so humiliated in my life. I was so… immersed in myself that I didn't even hear when Liz got home. She'd gotten a pretty good view of… everything. My face burned hotly as realization hit. Liz said _**we**__ were ordering Chinese_. That meant that the guys were out there as well, probably laughing their asses off. Oh God, what was I going to say to Taylor? I didn't think for second that Liz would keep a golden story like this to herself. The situation couldn't have gotten any worse.

_Note to self, lock the damn door!_

It was some time before I was able to pick myself off the bathroom floor and put on some clothes. Before leaving the bathroom, I tried to wash the redness and embarrassment from my face. After a few minutes of splashing in cold water, the crimson in my cheeks faded to a light pink and I was able to leave the bathroom.

My mouth began to water as the aroma of Chinese food filled my room. It had been hours since my last meal and I was famished. But the thought of the kind I ridicule I would face upon leaving, kept me inside.

It wouldn't have surprised me one bit if Liz was outside my door, fanning the delicious scent of takeout in my direction in an attempt to lure me out. Eventually the gnawing ache of my empty stomach pulled rank over my shame, and I steeled myself prior to venturing out. I was hungry and food trumped embarrassment.

Sounds of talking voices greeted me as I crept down the hall. The three figures sitting around the table immediately stopped talking as I came into view. Thankfully, Taylor was absent.

"Hey, Izzy. We ordered takeout. Grab a chair." Ryan was the first to speak up.

_Let's get this over with,_ I thought as I eased into a seat.

Zach went back to shoveling noodles into his mouth and Liz wrinkled her nose at him as she passed me a container filled with eggrolls.

Ryan and Zach went back to talking about football and I began to relax, thinking that Liz had kept her mouth shut about what she saw.

That feeling was destroyed when Liz asked with a mischievous grin, "Hey, Izzy. Would you like me to pass you some fried rice or would you like to _do it yourself_?"

Zach laughed, Liz giggled and I died a little inside.

When in trouble, deny, deny, deny.

"Stop laughing. I was not -"

"Doing a one woman show?" Liz interjected, suggestively waggling her eyebrows.

_Oh God!_

"It's fine, Izzy. I just hope… you washed your hands after you were done... _petting the kitty_," Zach chimed in between guffaws.

_Bastard!_

The only person not laughing was my dear friend Ryan, but his attempt at helping came in the form of an unwanted admission.

"I don't see what the big deal is. So, what if Izzy got caught masturbating? I masturbate quite frequently," Ryan stated matter-of-factly as if he was talking about the weather.

The room went silent until Zach complained, "Hey, man! I'm eating here." He gestured at the filled plate in front of him.

"Izzy has needs too." Ryan defended and pointed his chopsticks at me. "Don't be embarrassed, Izzy. If you wanna touch yourself, you go right ahead."

_Oh my God!_ Unable to take any more of their ribbing, I shot up from my chair, snatching my keys off the counter as I went. I planned to get the hell out of there.

Behind me Liz called out, "Aw come on, Izzy. We were just kidding around."

I heard footsteps behind me, but I was already on my way out the door. One would think that my exit would have ended the conversation, but I was wrong.

I'd taken a few steps down the hall when Ryan poked his head out the door and shouted, "There is no shame in masturbation, Izzy - Oh, hi, Mrs. Connelly. I… ah…" He gave up and closed the door, abandoning me to my shameful fate.

Humiliation swept over me as I whirled around to find Mrs. Connelly, our elderly neighbor, staring at me with widened eyes. God, she was just as embarrassed as I was! After opening and closing my mouth a few times, I found the strength to murmur a small hello. Following an equally awkward reply, Mrs. Connelly fled into her apartment, and I became certain that she would never ask me to cat sit for her again.

My day was officially ruined.

Minutes later, I let myself into Zach and Taylor's apartment with my spare key and barged into Taylor's room, startling the hell out of him. Sitting at his desk, Taylor's figure was just a blur as I threw myself on his bed and screamed into a pillow.

"Okay, I'll just go ahead and ask. What's brought on this latest bout of crazy?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know." My words were muffled by the pillow.

Taylor's chair squeaked as he stood. The sounds of his footsteps were absorbed by the carpet. The soft mattress dipped beneath his weight as he crawled into the space next to me.

"Oh, you must be talking about Liz walking in while you were um… self-cultivating."

At Taylor's snort, my head shot up. "Oh my God! How did you hear about that?"

"Text." Taylor pointed to his phone on the nightstand and laughed when I reburied my burning face in his pillow.

_Damn Liz and her Tizzy updates!_

"You've been a very bad girl." Around Taylor's eyes crinkled with laughter as he teased me.

"It's not funny, it's mortifying!" I delivered a smack to his chest. _His firm, naked chest_…

"You have to admit, it is a little funny," Taylor tried to coax a smile out of me.

"Oh God. I've never been so embarrassed," I groaned, feeling my ears burn.

"Embarrassed of what? Of being watched? Giving into your desires?" I shifted to see the smile dying on his lips as his expression intensified.

In a bid to shield myself from his penetrating stare, I angled my head, employing my hair as a curtain. But Taylor reached out and tucked my makeshift veil behind my ear, leaving me completely open to his scrutiny.

With one hand, Taylor grasped my shoulder and pushed until I lay flat on my back, staring up at him. As he edged closer, his breath fanned my face, gently warming my skin. My heart rate doubled as it always seemed to do lately, whenever Taylor was near.

"Tell me. Were you thinking about me when you were touching yourself?" He whispered the question against my mouth, and I resisted the urge to pull him into a kiss.

His tone said that he was expecting some sort of answer from me, and as I seemed to be verbally challenged, I managed a shaky nod. The admission sent a wave of redness up my neck, drawing Taylor's attention.

Placing fingertips on my chin, he gently canted my head to the side, facing away from him. "Wow, that blush really goes all the way down," Taylor murmured with traces of awe in his tone. Fingertips followed the trail of redness down the curve of my neck, stopping mere inches from my breast.

My eyes drifted shut as he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss just beneath my ear. "What is it about you?"

Warmth seeped into my chest at the reverence behind his question. It was nice knowing that I wasn't the only one who didn't have things all figured out.

"Haven't you heard? I'm one of a kind." My witty remark drew a smile from him.

Taylor slowly slipped his hand under my skirt, his fingers trailed up my thigh to curl around the waistband of my panties. Without Taylor's directive, I raised my hips upward, giving him room to slide them down my legs. He sat up with a dark smile and tossed them over his shoulders.

As Taylor rose from the bed I sat upright, watching as he moved to collect his chair and bring it closer to the bed. I placed one of the pillows behind my back and leaned against the headboard. I was curious to learn what his intentions were.

"Tonight's lesson will be about the joy of watching and being watched." His voice deepened with a dark sensuality that caused my breath to quicken.

_Voyeurism_.

I swallowed nervously around the desert in my mouth as Taylor settled himself onto the chair, gazing at me with narrow-eyed intensity.

"In this room, there is no place for shame or modesty. Do you trust me?" His voice sounded strained, deeper somehow.

"Yes." My answer was automatic and without hesitation.

"I want you to spread your legs and lift up your skirt."

_He wanted me to what? _

Another wave of heat washed over my body when I began to realize what he wanted from me. A small choking noise slipped out of my mouth and I was suddenly overcome with bashfulness.

He wanted me to _show_ him. This would be the most erotic thing I'd ever done in my life. We were creating a new level of intimacy between us. If Taylor wanted to look, then fine. This would be a private showing. _Just for him_. The thought bolstered my confidence, and just like that the decision was made.

With burning cheeks, I began to inch my legs open bit by bit while maintaining a death grip on the edges of my skirt. Taylor waited patiently as I, with legs widely parted, haltingly slid the fabric of my skirt upward, until I was left completely exposed to his gaze. Darkened eyes seemed to devour my naked flesh as if starved for the very sight of me.

My mouth fell open when Taylor quickly reached for his button and undid his pants. His hand delved into the unzipped portion at his crotch, wrapped around the obvious bulge and tugged.

"Holy…" Whatever else I was about to say was lost when Taylor slowly began to pump his fist along the length of his arousal. Apparently, Taylor thought I deserved a show of my own.

The muscles in his arm ripple and tensed with each stroke. He let loose a deep growl that sent pleasurable shivers racing through my body. The longer I watched him, the less self-conscious I became. It seemed like what we were doing was the most natural thing in the world. Unable to help myself, my body began to respond as Taylor bit his lip and bucked into his pumping fist. The labored sounds of his breathing were joined by my breathless pants.

I was undeniably mesmerized by his erotic display. Rays of the setting sun emanated through his window, bathing the room in an orange glow. That light slanted across the muscled plains of his torso. Never had I wished for a camera more than I did at that moment. Sitting before me, partially nude with light and shadow playing over his body, Taylor was a work of art.

His green eyes were focused on my face, wordlessly showing and telling me what he planned to do to me. _Soon, very soon_. I heard him groan, a deep sexy sound, and my fingers itched to trail themselves across his naked, olive-toned flesh.

"You're wet."

"Oh God," my voice squeaked in acute embarrassment and I moved to cover myself with my skirt. This was far too intimate.

"Don't you dare." Taylor growled, his voice laced with arousal. I looked up to find that his face had hardened, his piercing gaze burning into my flesh. His voice had softened a fraction as he continued, "When we are alone together, nothing else exists. No shame, no modesty, no hiding. Not with me."

His compelling words filled me with a sense of sexual daring. Taylor was right. We had this precious time alone together without any intrusion from the outside world. There was nothing wrong with sharing parts of ourselves with each other. We were just Izzy and Taylor. Just us.

I could do this.

Izzy could do this.

"No hiding," I reaffirmed, marginally pleased at the steadiness in my voice.

The corners of Taylor's mouth turned up in a proud smile when I raised my skirt higher, spreading my legs wider.

* * *

Weeks later, I was in the middle of an exam when my phone began to vibrate in the silence. With the hope that the person on the other end would stop calling, I tried to ignore it. After a few moments, the buzzing stopped only to start up again.

_What the hell!_

Who would be calling me now? And why did they keep trying over and over again?

The buzzing was soon becoming a distraction, and the glares of classmates sitting nearby told me that the sound was turning into a nuance. With a bemused smile of apology, I reached into my bag and rummaged around for my phone. Finally my hand closed around the offending object and I turned it off. Although before I was able to do so, I caught a glimpse of the person calling… _Alice_.

I didn't have time to wonder why she was calling, so I put the phone away and devoted my full attention toward the exam. By the time I'd completed the exam, Alice's calls had been long forgotten and my cell phone lay switched off in my bag.

But as I hustled to my next class, which was a few buildings away, I experienced the strangest feeling. The fine hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, prickling with eerie awareness that stopped me dead in my tracks. Looking around, I didn't see anything or anyone out of the ordinary, just the usual scene of students and professors walking around campus. With hesitation, I continued on my way, blaming the chill on the nape of my neck on the cold weather.

A few steps later, I stopped after getting the weird feeling once more. Another scan of my surroundings revealed nothing out of the ordinary, and yet feelings of paranoia still crept its way into my gut.

Quickening my pace, I ran smack into someone and would've fallen if not for quick hands, reaching out to steady me. "Hey, cutie. Where you off to in such a hurry?"

My body relaxed a fraction as I found Keisha staring back at me. "Just trying to get to class on time," I replied and smacked her hands away from their place on my waist.

Someone else's hands would've gone to my shoulders, but not Keisha's. Even on a subconscious level, the girl was a flirt, and would never pass up on an opportunity to hit on me or anything in a bra. I was constantly being subjected to her many requests for us to make caramel colored babies together.

"I was just trying to help. Honest." Keisha held up her hands in defense even as her lips curled into a mischief making smile.

"More like you were trying to help yourself," I shot back, unable to prevent my own growing grin. Keisha was like a darker, female version of Zach. I glanced down at my watch. "Anyway, I have to get to class, so I'll talk to you later."

Keisha's reply was lost as I resumed my race to get to class.

Any uneasiness was completely forgotten until I drove into the basement parking lot later that day. Due to the snow, many of the building's tenants chose to park in the basement instead of outside, so parking spots were a bit scarce. After driving around a bit, I finally found an empty spot in the corner farthest away from the elevator.

Shouldering my backpack, I set off in the direction of the elevator and paused. The basement seemed much darker than usual with quite a few light bulbs needing to be replaced. I made a mental note to give the building manager a call when I got back to the apartment.

I drew in a deep breath, fighting to quell my growing anxiety. Memories of what happened the last time the basement had been poorly lit assaulted my mind.

_There is nothing to be afraid of._

Increasing my speed, I played with thoughts of potential desserts for later, desperate to keep my mind away from imaginary dangers lurking in the shadows. But the echoes of my footsteps in an empty, darkened parking lot did nothing to assuage my fears which tripled when I began to feel invisible eyes boring into me.

My heart surged within my chest and I became certain. Someone had been watching me all day and had followed me back to my apartment. Dread shot through me as the white-knuckled grip on my bag strap tightened.

I didn't need to turn around; someone was definitely in here with me. The elevator came into view, and adrenaline surged, muscles tightened as my body began to prepare itself to run.

I'd only managed to take one running step before a cold, hard hand encircled my wrist in an iron-like grip.

It was too late.

The realization hit me like a sledgehammer before I was dragged off into the darkness.

_Vampire!_

* * *

**A/N: **I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel people. I'll begin the countdown to Bella's homecoming in the next chapter.

**Back to the story: **Bella's belly dancing class seems to be going well.

Bella finally got some closure with Dillon. Should she have apologized to him?

What did you think about Liz walking in on Bella and then torturing her about it? Poor Bella :)

Taylor's latest lesson... Bella sure seems to be gaining more confidence, huh?

I think Bella's development is coming along nicely. What do you think?

Bella should've answered Alice's calls.

**Review **and receive your **teasers** people!


	55. Tire Slashers and Puppy Kickers

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
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**A/N: Unedited chapter folks.  
**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

**WARNING: **Please be advised, strong sexual content in this chapter.**  
**

* * *

Chapter 55

The realization came far too late as an arm encircled my torso and I was hauled against something that felt like a cold, unyielding chest. The arm began to constrict like an anaconda in immediate response to my struggles.

My mind was suddenly flooded with images of red eyes and a promise to check up on me. I felt the blood drain from my face.

In the midst of my panic, questions began to swirl around my mind. Did they finally come for me? How did they find me? Why didn't Alice see –?

That's what Alice's nonstop phone calls were about. She was trying to warn me that the Volturi had finally come for me.

I opened my mouth to scream, but my attacker had already anticipated I would do that, and successfully moved to cover my mouth before I was able to make a note. My terrified shrieks were muffled by a cold hand as I renewed my frantic efforts to escape. I was convinced that I was going to die. After all, the Voturi didn't give second chances. I would never see my friends or family again. I'd never see Taylor or Jacob…

"Bella," my captor spoke and I ceased my struggling.

_Edward?_

He removed his hand from my mouth, relaxing his grip and I quickly spun around. In the darkness of the basement, I was still able to make out Edward's striking features. To my annoyance, my heart seized up for a second before I was able to reign in my reaction to seeing Edward again.

So I wasn't going to be murdered and have my body dumped in a shallow grave.

Relief washed over me, but didn't last long as happiness to see him warred with exasperation. Indignant anger was the emotion that won out in the end and I lashed out in my fury, hitting Edward on his chest.

"Damn it, Edward! What the - Frigging hell!" Anger instantly morphed into agony as the blow sent a rush of pain racing up my arm. Cursing myself for my stupidity, I broke away from him, furiously rubbing at my tenderized flesh.

Edward stopped my tirade by pressing a frigid finger to my lips, using his other hand to point in the direction of the elevator. The lift's doors slid opened to reveal Liz as she burst into the parking lot, mumbling about being late for… something. In the process of running toward her car, Liz suddenly stopped and scanned the lot. Although we were shrouded in darkness, my breath still caught when her gaze seemed to land on us.

The tense moment was broken when Liz glanced down at her wrist watch and gasped, "Shit." She climbed into her car and peeled out of the basement without a second glance.

"We shouldn't stay here and risk running into any more of your friends," Edward advised.

Taking a firm hold of my arm, Edward led me over to my car that I used to drive us away from the apartment. We drove around in silence while I tried to find a place where we could talk privately. I didn't dare try to talk to him while the car was in motion for fear that I would try to hit him again and get my ass killed.

I was pretty damn sure Edward Cullen just shaved five years off my life span. My fingers dug into the cushion on the steering wheel as I pulled into a secluded area and parked the car. I was so damn mad at him for scaring me like he did.

I turned in my seat to level him with an incensed stare. "Jeez, Edward. You really scared the shit out of me back there."

Edward raised an eyebrow and my face warmed, realizing that he'd never heard me use such language before. I supposed I had Zach to thank for my vocabulary.

"I had to see you," Edward confessed and damn if all my irritation didn't just evaporate. Why couldn't I ever stay mad at him?

"You could have called," I grumbled, looking at his smooth, eternally youthful face out of the corner of my eye.

"I thought you would refuse to see me." His sorrowful gaze resurrected memories of old feelings, tugging at my heart. God, I was such a sucker for brooding, tortured men.

"I will always want to see you, Edward. That will never change." Unable to resist, I reach over, placed a hand on his knee and immediately felt his body stiffen under my touch.

With mild trepidation, I noted one of Edward's hands gripping the edge of the car seat. It had been more than a year since he'd last seen me in person and it was taking him a while to get used to the scent of my blood again. In hopes of making things easier for him, I pulled away, letting my hand find a home on my lap. There was no need for me to tempt him further.

"Why are you here, Edward?"

"Alice is trying to get me to date." Embarrassment was slashed all over his features.

My heart stammered in my chest and I was surprised at the small stab of jealousy I experienced at his confession. In my heart, I felt conflicted. I knew that I had no right, still the feeling was there. I mentally scolded myself for being unfair. If I could move on with Taylor, Edward had every right to try to find some happiness of his own. If I could let Jacob go and be happy for him, then I surely owed Edward the same courtesy.

"Who? Someone at the university?" _Another human?_ The thought of Edward dating another girl and giving her all the things I'd practically begged him for in the past, bothered me on a personal level.

"No and I want you to know that I'd never pursue a relationship with another human." I saw the truth of his words on his face and oddly enough, it gave me some small comfort. Although, we would never be together again, Edward would always be my vampire and I, his human.

"Alice must already have someone in mind. Who then?"

"Tanya," Edward confessed.

"Oh," was all I could manage.

His admission shouldn't have surprised me, and yet it did. I recalled Alice telling me about Tanya's feelings for Edward, which he'd never reciprocated. I wasn't sure why, but I didn't think that Tanya was the one for him. By Alice's description of the vampire, I imagined her to be eager to please and… _easy_. If I was correct in my assumptions then she and Edward would never work out.

Edward needed someone to challenge him, call him on his shit, and maybe even make him chase her. He needed someone who wouldn't be so easily blinded by the perfection of his beauty like I once was. Someone who was his equal, someone to help him deal with his self-loathing. Someone who was… _immortal_.

While I was lost in my inner thoughts, Edward was intently searching my face, trying to read my emotions. By his anxious, slightly guilty expression, I began to understand why he had come to see me. He needed to hear that it was okay for him to get on with his life because the thought of moving on, still felt like a betrayal to the love he still harbored for me.

I had to put my selfish, petty feelings aside and attempt to be a real friend to him. As romantic as the idea of Edward forever pining over me was, the reality of it would have been far too tragic. Edward needed to get out there and try. How else would he find his soul mate?

"Alice is right, Edward. You really should start dating again and if you want to go out with Tanya well… I think it's a great idea." I even managed to muster up a convincing smile for him.

_Even though,_ _I'm already convinced that any relationship with Tanya will eventually crash and burn, _I thought silently.

Edward's chuckle caused me to frown. "What's so funny?"

"I was laughing at the crash and burn comment you made." Edward's eyes were full of mirth as he turned to face me. His humor vanished upon seeing the horrified look on my face. "Bella, what's wrong?"

"Edward, I didn't say that part out loud… I thought it."

Upon my disturbing revelation, Edward's face lit up and within the blink of an eye, his face was inches away from mine. The sudden movement startled me and I drew back, pressing my back against the door. In that moment, he appeared more predator than man. Edward seemed not to have noticed how much he was creeping me out, and eliminated any distance between our heads.

His eyes closed and face became rigid with concentration as he worked on trying to hear my thoughts. His addictive scent was even more magnetic up-close and I fought the desire to run my fingers through his hair.

Disappointment shone in Edward's eyes when he reopened them, and I relaxed marginally under the knowledge that my thoughts were once again safe from his prying mind.

In the dying light of the sun, I noticed that Edward's eyes had changed from honey to black, triggering warning bells in my mind. Did he feed before coming to see me? I became all too aware that with the heater on, I probably smelt like his favorite meal warmed over. And he was close, too close.

Why didn't he move away?

"Edward, I…" The movement of my lips drew his gaze and my voice trailed off.

Edward looked like he was torn between a desire to kiss me and wanting to rip my throat out. His acting on any one of those choices would ruin my day.

I knew I should have pushed him away at that moment, but my body seemed unwilling to cooperate as Edward began to edge in closer, and closer…

The cool chill of his nose brushed mine, snapping me out of my transfixion, and I was made conscious of his intent to kiss me. Temptation rose and before I realized what I was doing, my eyes slid close. The sweet scent of his breath made my heart pound with excitement. But just before his lips touched mine, an image of Taylor's face suddenly appeared in my mind and broke the spell.

_This is wrong. _

Everything about this entire situation felt wrong. I wasn't the girl who tripped over her own feet anymore. I was no longer the girl whose only life ambition had involved being cold and beautiful. And sadly, that was the girl Edward still wanted.

What the hell was I doing here, on the verge of making out with my ex-boyfriend? I was supposed to be home, ogling Taylor while he prepared dinner for us.

I swiftly braced both hands against his firm chest, turning my face away from the oncoming path of his lips. "Edward, no."

In hindsight, exposing my neck to a vampire on the edge might not have been the wisest choice, but I couldn't let him kiss me. Although Taylor and I were yet to define our relationship, I was certain that we were exclusive. I knew myself well enough to be sure that I was no cheat. And kissing Edward would be cheating. No bones about it.

Beneath my palms, his chest was as immovable as solid rock, refusing to give an inch, but I refused to be deterred. Anger flared up and I latched onto it like a drowning woman. With a stern, hard voice, I shouted, "I said no, Edward!"

If I had a rolled up newspaper, I would've used it to smack him on the nose. Thankfully, it didn't come to that as Edward abruptly snapped out of whatever trance he was in and immediately backed off. Faster than I could blink, he returned to his former position, holding onto the seat.

"I apologize, Bella. I don't know what came over me." His eyes held traces of shame, and it looked as if he had stopped breathing completely.

"It's okay, Edward. Just don't let it happen again." I placed a hand over my rapidly pounding heart, unwilling to admit, even to myself, just how much Edward's proximity still had the power to affect me.

The distance between us had been for my benefit as much as it was for Edward's. On some level, I would always be attracted to him. Although the intensity of it had faded somewhat, I knew my feelings for him would never really go away. I was still drawn to him, but now I was certain that some of my feelings had something to do with his natural vampiric allure. His irresistible beauty and intoxicating smell were his weapons. He could disarm me with one of his smiles and perhaps, that was where the real danger resided. The danger to my heart.

"So… you heard what I was thinking?" I asked, struggling to regain control of the situation.

"Yes, but only for a few seconds then your mind went silent again." His eyebrows pulled together in confusion.

"Strange," I murmured and felt a tangible wave of unease wash over me.

I wondered if it had anything to do with the frequent headaches I'd been experiencing for the past year. A trip to the doctor, at Taylor's persuasion, had diagnosed me with migraine headaches. I'd been content to attribute the headaches to my increased workload, but everyone had been growing increasingly concerned with my mood swings, and my occasional bouts of fatigue. Not wanting to worry my friends anymore than they already were, I decided to keep my increasing memory loss to myself.

Whatever my affliction was, I hoped it would disappear in time for my dance recital in a few weeks.

Pushing my worries aside, I turned to Edward with a teasing smirk on my face. "Okay, new rule. The next time you decide to visit, you have to call first. And, this part is nonnegotiable; you come to my apartment like a normal guy. No more skulking around like a weirdo."

My terms were met with skepticism. "Your apartment? I don't think that's such a good idea, Bella. Taylor doesn't like me and I can't say that I feel differently about him."

"That's too damn bad, Edward, because you two are going to make nice and be polite to each other. Okay?" I wasn't going to put up with any jealous, male crap. They were both going to have to get over themselves and fast.

"Okay." Edward returned my smile and I started up the car and drove us back to the apartment. As much as I enjoyed visiting with Edward, I just really wanted to go home.

On the way back, Edward talked about how his original plan was just to see me. But when his plans changed, that's when Alice decided to call to give me a heads up. He didn't mean to scare me, he was just trying to get to me before I ran into Liz.

Back in the basement, Edward escorted me to the elevator. But before I got in it, there was something I had to ask. It was a question that had been on my mind for quite some time.

"Edward, has Alice said anything to you about the Volturi?" Per our agreement, Alice was only allowed to check five minutes into my future at a time. I was worried that she might have missed some things.

"They've brought up your name once in passing, but it didn't turn into anything beyond that. Time passes differently for a vampire, Bella. It could be another fifty years before they decide to check up on you. Besides, I could say with confidence that you are not a priority for the Volturi at this time."

_Not a priority?_ "What do you mean?"

"Let's just say that the Volturi already have their hands full with internal and external conflicts." Edward's mouth relaxed into a half smile.

His words gave me pause for thought. Internal? I took that to mean that there might be some infighting among the Volturi members. But Edward's talk of external threats confused me. What group was powerful enough to pose a threat to the ruling body of the vampire nation?

Although Edward's news delivered some relief, I was still worried. Somehow, I didn't think it would be another fifty years before the Volturi came looking for me. What would I do if they did? Would my friends get caught in the crossfire? How much was I risking by staying with them?

As if he sensed my inner turmoil, Edward reached out and touched my hand. "You have nothing to worry about."

"You know what, Edward? Forget what you heard about the whole crashing and burning thing. Sometimes you have to take a chance and see where things go. And don't let Alice use her visions to show you how things will turn out. Just enjoy the ride for however long it lasts. Okay?" I offered, what I hoped was, a reassuring smile.

"Okay." He wrapped his arms around me and I laid my head on his chest, enjoying the slight chill of his embrace. The absence of a beating heart made me sad. Perhaps I'd grown too used to hugs from Taylor. With a decisive nod, I made up my mind to appreciate Edward for everything that he was, instead of concentrating on what he wasn't.

Edward released me after on last squeeze and stepped away. I waited for him to leave, and grew perplexed when he didn't. He regarded me with clear marks of indecision on his face.

Just as I was about to ask what was wrong, I felt the briefest brush of cold lips against my own and then Edward was gone.

I was in a state of amazement as I brought my fingers up to my lips. Edward Cullen had broken his gentlemanly code and had stolen a kiss from me. I knew I should've been angry, but as the elevator doors slid close, all I could feel was a sense of nostalgia as I recalled another stolen kiss from a few years earlier.

* * *

_I think I'm going to be sick._

Anxiety floated off me in waves as I stood backstage at my very first dance recital. After months of practice, midnight dancing in my room and every spare chance I got, it was finally time to perform in front of a real audience.

I ended up purchasing two outfits from Rhonda's store because I couldn't decide which I liked most. After days of deliberation (and driving Liz crazy), I finally chose a green and burgundy outfit for tonight's performance.

Examining my appearance in the mirror for the twentieth time, I concluded I'd made the right choice. An intricate design of green and burgundy sequins decorated my bra and belt, which was connected by a motif that extended diagonally along my stomach. A combination of green and burgundy beads hung from my belt and wrist cuffs, swaying gently each time I moved. My full circle skirt was made of green chiffon with burgundy inserts, which left a great deal of my legs exposed.

Liz stood next to me, retouching her makeup and giving her hair one last fluff. She wore a gold bra with matching beads and crystals that decorated the cups. Her skirt was made of gold lycra, with chiffon panels over each leg, that moved like liquid gold. Her hair was styled identical to mine, with lots of waves and bounce.

In preparation for our performances, Liz and I watched countless belly dancing videos and Taylor helped us pick out the music for our routines. For weeks on end, I would sneak into Taylor's room late at night and he would help me fine-tune my performance. As requested, he didn't cut me any slack. If a move looked sloppy or needed more work, he would challenge me to push myself until I got it right.

I was standing backstage with Liz and Ryan, watching one of my classmates perform a baladi solo using a cane as a prop. Zach and Taylor were already sitting in the audience. Zach had brought his camera to film our performances or epic humiliation; however you chose to look at it. With my sweaty palms, I was beginning to lean toward the latter. I was entering the first stages of a full blown panic attack.

"I don't think I can go out there, you guys," I confessed with my pounding heart in my throat.

What on earth was I thinking? There were too many people in the audience and the stage lights looked so bright. It was too hot to dance.

"Oh no. Don't you dare freak out on me now, Izzy. If you freak then I'll freak and I have to go on after you, so you can't freak!" Liz's eyebrows were pinched together in worry. Her face was pale, as if she was also on the verge of running out of here.

_I really think I'm going to be sick._

When her words failed to have the desired effect, Liz turned to Ryan. "Go get Taylor."

Ryan disappeared without another word, and quickly returned with Taylor following close behind. Taylor opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but one look at my ashen face had him rushing to my aid.

Taylor began to run his hands up and down my arms in a soothing gesture. It seemed to work as my shaking gradually slowed to a stop and my queasy stomach settled.

"I can't go out there and dance in front of all those people, Taylor."

"You can."

"What if I forget my routine?"

"You won't."

"What if I trip on my sweaty feet and fall off the stage?"

"If that happens, I promise not to laugh too loudly," Taylor supplied with an amused twitch of his mouth.

"You jerk." I smacked him on the chest, giggling in spite of myself. I had to admit that the laughter felt good, and helped distract me from my stage fright.

Taylor spun me around to face the stage where the dancer was just wrapping up her performance. "You'll be fine. Just go out there and pretend you're dancing in my room," Taylor coached, keeping his voice low as he massaged the tension out of my shoulders.

Liz and Ryan stood off to the side; both radiating with curiosity. Well, Ryan's gaze was questioning while brooding suspicion clouded Liz's features.

"Now take a deep breath." One of his hands came to rest flat on my stomach as I deeply inhaled. "Remember your posture, keep your shoulders relaxed. If you mess up just keep dancing, the audience won't be able to tell the difference. And remember to feel the music. Okay?"

"All right." As I watched, the dancer finished her routine and left the stage. It was my turn.

"You can do this." Taylor gave my shoulder one last squeeze and I drew in a deep breath, letting the audience disappear.

_I can do this,_ I thought and then everything seemed to fall into place. The floor's cooling effect on my bare feet calmed me further.

The unmistakable strings of a violin floated through the speakers as I ran onto the stage with my green veil fluttering behind me. I was to perform an American style cabaret with some Egyptian elements thrown in.

About thirty seconds into my routine, I performed a veil spiral turn and sent it flying over my shoulder. Raising my hands above my head, I slowly rolled my hips in a figure eight motion to the alluring beat of the drum. I brought my arms down like a serpent in tune with the slow tempo of the violin.

When the music began to build in momentum, the audience began to clap in time with the beat, cheering me on. Above the noise, I heard the supportive yells of my friends (Ryan's voice being the loudest). Their support filled me with a sense of buoyancy, and I actually found myself smiling and flirting with the crowd.

I utilized my dance area, completing several traveling hip thrusts from one end of the stage to the other. I could almost feel Taylor's gaze on me as I undulated my hips and then pulled off a belly roll. On the inside, I was jumping for joy. I'd managed to execute one of the moves I'd had some difficulty with in our practice sessions.

As the song barreled toward its end, I performed a few spins and concluded my act with a dramatic split. The sound of whistling and applause filled the room as I rose from the ground, breathing heavily. I bowed to the crowd, feeling immensely grateful for their praise.

_Thank you for not booing._

Taylor was right! No one in the crowd noticed when I improvised because I'd forgotten a few parts of my choreography.

Following one last wave, I exited the stage on a cloud. Backstage I was immediately swarmed and greeted with hugs and praise from my classmates. Taylor hung back from the elated women, waiting for his chance to congratulate me. He didn't have long to wait.

With all eyes watching, I threw myself at Taylor, my arms going around his neck and buried my face in his chest. He'd staggered slightly when my body collided with his, but quickly regained his footing with a surprised laugh before returning my embrace. I was so grateful to him for being the one to give me the courage to do something that terrified me.

Our moment was interrupted by Ryan loudly clearing his throat, and we broke apart with a bit of embarrassment on my part. Turning away from Taylor, I discovered Liz openly regarding us with suspicion. She appeared as if she wanted to interrogate us, but luckily for us, she wouldn't get the opportunity. The next performance was hers and she needed to get her head in the game.

Following a good luck kiss and a quick _break a leg_, Ryan hurried back to his seat in the audience, leaving Taylor and me to watch from backstage. Some of my classmates returned to the dressing room to finish getting ready, while a couple of them stayed behind to catch Liz's performance.

Her solo ended without any mistakes, that I could see, and I made sure that my cheers were among the loudest.

I returned to the dressing room to change out of my costume, remembering that Taylor and I had made plans for later. Although, there was going to be a celebratory party after the recital, we were not going to be in attendance.

We met Liz in the crowded lobby and gave her a phony excuse about me not feeling very well. Maybe my explanation was lame, but I thought it was better than saying I was ditching her to go _do_ her brother.

Liz's expression was shuttered as she regarded her brother. "You'll take care of her. Right, Taylor?"

A silent message or warning passed from Liz to Taylor whose shoulders stiffened imperceptibly, his mouth tightening ever so slightly at the corners. Following a curt nod from her brother, Liz left to go find Ryan and Zach.

Whatever confusion I might have felt at Liz's reaction was quickly forgotten when I glanced up to find Taylor giving me his _I wanna do bad things with you_ look.

Taylor's body was rigid with tension as he drove us back to the apartment. Heat filled my system each time he took his eyes off the road to rake them over my body. Arousal darkened the depths of his green eyes, revealing the extent of his hunger. In the meanwhile, I was locked in my own admiration for his male form. I could barely keep my own eyes from traveling over his thick hair, broad shoulders that were accentuated by the black T-shirt that clung to his body.

Back at our building, Taylor was like a man on a mission as he grabbed hold of my hand, and briskly led me to his apartment. Once there, I anxiously waited for him to unlock the door.

The door had barely swung open before Taylor brought his mouth down hard on mine, swallowing the sound of my moan. My lips parted beneath his, desperate for the feel of his tongue in my mouth. His kiss was a wordless seduction with lips and a talented tongue that only hinted at the pleasure to come.

Large hands fumbled for the edges of my jersey, tugging it upward while I carelessly kicked off my shoes. Our heated kisses were interrupted as he jerked the material over my head, carelessly tossing it somewhere in the living room. After Taylor's shirt had been discarded in a similar fashion, I reached for his belt, impatiently tugging at it before moving to unfasten his pants.

No sooner had Taylor abandoned his pants than I felt myself being lifted, legs parted, so he could position his hardened length against the apex of my thighs. My arms latched around his neck, fingers threading through the thickness of his hair. Firm hands clamped around my ass, squeezing and kneading as he walked us down the hall. Each jolt of his footsteps sent ripples of pleasure throughout my body.

I gently suctioned his bottom lip into my mouth, biting down as my fingernails dug into the muscles of his back. With an animalistic groan, Taylor had me braced against the wall in the hallway with his hard body firmly holding me in place. One muscular hand curved around my breast, fingers rasping over my bra-covered nipple, sending electric jolts of pleasure hurtling through me. Kissing fiercely, our bodies moved against each other, hips flexing and straining together.

"_Mío_," he growled possessively, tearing himself away from my mouth to lick and nibble along the curve of my neck. My head tilted to the side to grant him better access.

Almost to the point of pain, my legs tightened around his waist, muscles in my thighs straining in an effort to draw him even closer. I could feel his heat through the thin layers of fabric that separated our bodies, making me desperate for more. Pure instinct drove me as I gyrated my body against his, yearning for some relief from the burning ache of arousal sweeping through my body.

His breath was hot and sweet against my lips as he whispered, "I want you… I want you so bad."

Heat flowed through me and my eyes fluttered close, reveling in the exquisite feel of my sensitive nipples rubbing against his solid muscles. Taylor bucked against my moist heat with a seductive roll of his hips. Insistent fingers encircled my nipple, eliciting a long, drawn out moan from my lips.

My legs slipped from around his back and I was lowered to stand on wobbly feet. The sexual tension in the atmosphere swirled around us, igniting a burning heat that made me tremble for more.

Warm hands stroked along the sides of my body as Taylor dropped to his knees in front of me. Goosebumps rose on my flesh, following the path of his fingers. I was dazed and surprised when Taylor licked at my swollen flesh through the flimsy material of my panties.

"I could just eat you up." I shivered at the raw promise in his tone.

His lips blazed a burning trail along my skin as he stood. Taylor groaned, a tortured sound, when I reached out to grab hold of him through his boxers, and felt his heated flesh jerk at my touch.

Taking delight in his response, I experienced a rush of feminine power at his reaction to my touch. I smiled with a slow deliberate curl of my lips that oozed confidence. Moving away from him, I allowed my fingertips to trail over his contoured muscles of torso.

I took slow, purposeful steps away from him, pausing briefly when I arrived at his door. A glance over my shoulder confirmed that Taylor was still standing, seemingly frozen in the same spot, gazing at me with hot male eyes. I slipped into his room with the unshakeable certainty that he would follow.

Inside his room, the light of the moon shone through the window, illuminating the surface of all it touched. I strolled over to stand at the foot of the bed and a moment later, Taylor appeared in the doorway.

I sensed his hesitation as he hovered in the doorway, refusing to enter. "Are you sure? Once we cross this line there'll be no turning back."

Was there some hidden meaning to his words? I didn't know, but I did know in that moment, there was nowhere else in the world I would rather be than with him. Everything, from the first day we met till tonight, had been leading up to this moment and there wasn't a doubt in my mind. I was ready.

"I'm sure." A soft smile tugged at my lips.

At my reply, Taylor finally crossed over the threshold. It seemed like his fingers barely touched the door and yet it slammed shut with a resounding bang that resonated deep within me. There would truly be no backing out now.

Sinewy muscles rippled as he moved toward me with the languid pace of a predator approaching his prey.

"You know what I want." Danger-tinged lust hardened Taylor's features, his dark sexuality finally coming to the surface.

"Do I?" I taunted, knowing he wanted me to remove my underwear, but a part of me delighted in feigning ignorance.

Looking over my shoulder, I tossed a challenging smile at Taylor. Under his dark stare, a subtle push of my fingers sent one bra strap sliding off each shoulder, one after the next. As I spun around, the bra slipped off completely, leaving my breasts unbound and bare to his penetrating stare.

Sending him a saucy smile, I made a show of removing my underwear. My hands traveled up the sides of my body, until they encountered the little black bows resting on my hips. After two gentle tugs, the sheer material came off in my hand and I was completely naked.

On the other side of the room, Taylor stood watching me with a severe intensity that sent prickles of awareness up my spine. His eyes traveled down my body before coming to a screeching halt at the apex of my thighs.

A few days prior, Liz and I visited a salon and treated ourselves to a couple of Brazilian waxes. Although it had been twenty minutes of painfully embarrassing torture, it had been completely worth it to see the look on Taylor's face. It was almost like he was an excited, little boy on Christmas morning, receiving the gift he'd always wanted.

I balled up my underwear and threw it at him as if he were my favorite musician, performing on stage. With lightening quickness, Taylor caught the offending object with one hand. A warm flush crept up my neck when he brought it to his face, and inhaled deeply with a ragged groan.

"My favorite scent."

I settled on the edge of the bed and sent him an impish smile before parting my legs, letting him see how wet I was.

"Is this what you want?" I continued to bait, gazing at him through lowered lashes.

Taylor let out a stream of Spanish curses and stripped out his boxers with a barely restrained display of violence. My eyes drank in the sight of his completely nude body as he wrapped a hand around the thickness of his arousal, stroking slowly. I gave a silent word of thanks to God, Budda, Krishna or whatever higher power responsible that Taylor was _big_ and not _circus big_. Come morning, I wanted to be able to walk out instead of being rolled out in a wheelchair.

Sharp determination was stamped across his face as he quickly moved toward the bed. The mattress shifted under his weight as he crawled between the spread of my open legs. My heart fluttered with excitement and I bit back a nervous giggle. This was really going to happen. His body was warm and hard against mine as his weight pressed me down into the mattress.

His fingers slipped between my thighs, probing my wet folds and I assumed he was checking to see if I was ready. God was I ready, but his fingers were not what I wanted, and I didn't hesitate to tell him so.

"You're still too small," I heard him explain in a strained voice, his breath rougher than before. In the dim light of his room, Taylor's eyes were almost black with a burning hunger that betrayed his dark intentions.

Glancing down at his impressive size, a knot of anxiety grew in my stomach. He seemed even bigger up close, and I realized that he'd been right to be concerned. Although I wasn't a virgin, I'd only had sex once and that had been almost three years ago.

His body was poised above me, his weight supported by one hand. My strangled moan filled the rising temperature of the room when he slipped one broad finger inside me. A hot gust of breath was my only warning before Taylor's mouth covered one breast, teasing my taut nipple with sensual sweeps of his tongue.

Delirious with mounting sensations, my hands clutched at the sheets, body arching up in a silent plea. I raised my hips, pushing against the intrusion, craving a deeper penetration. My muted request was granted when Taylor slipped another finger into my tight channel. My body instinctively stiffened, tightening around the painful intrusion of the additional finger. After one final caress of his tongue, Taylor released my distended nipple, letting it cool in the air.

"Try to relax." Taylor's voice held a deep rumbled as he continued to work his fingers in and out, stretching me from the inside out. He lowered his head again, this time to lavish some attention on my other breast, rasping his tongue over the aching peak. Soon enough, the pain melted away, and my hips began to roll, moving against his pumping fingers. A tingle of warmth flowed through my body like a gentle caress.

I almost screamed with frustration when Taylor withdrew his fingers from my body. Flashing a wicked smile, he bent down to lick the flesh between my breasts.

He crawled up the length of my body and quickly positioned himself between my legs. I lifted my hands, placing them flat against the hard slabs of his chest, and felt his heart beating wildly under my fingertips.

Hooking his elbow under one of my knees, Taylor slowly sank into the warmth my narrow opening, stretching me more than his two fingers ever did. He kept his eyes locked on my face as he withdrew, and then surged forward in a smooth motion that made me arch off the bed with my head thrown back in a silent cry. My sensitive muscles burned, protesting painfully at its forced expansion.

_Oh, I did not miss this feeling_, I thought as my body sank back down to the bed. In some ways it was almost like being a virgin again, although the pain wasn't as bad as I remembered.

It took a moment for me to realize that although Taylor was buried inside me, he had yet to make anymore movements. My heart gave off a disturbing little flutter when I glanced up to find him gazing down at me with fierce tender. The muscles in his chest tensed and shook beneath my palms as he fought for some semblance of control.

"Tell me it gets better," I gasped, feeling full beyond belief.

"I'll do better than tell you. I'll show you," he growled seductively, his hand moving to lift my hips, tilting it toward him.

His hips reared back to fully sheath himself up to the hilt in one long thrust. Gradually, my flesh began to yield to his powerful thrusts and the sharp bite of pain disappeared, and I felt the stirrings of a familiar heat that curled my toes. This new angle of penetration made my eyes crossed beneath my closed eyelids.

My fingers clutched at the thick muscles in his broad shoulders, nails biting into his flesh. A light sheen of sweat covered our bodies, making our skin slide slickly against each other. Sublime sensation built, a sweet ache growing between my legs, feeding on the hot rhythm of his thrusts. But as the first tremors of my orgasm approached, Taylor backed off, his thrusts becoming shallow.

"Not yet," Taylor leaned in to whisper against my mouth.

I let out a whimper of protest before I was able to prevent it and Taylor flashed a knowing smile. The bastard was toying with me!

Taylor grasped my hips firmly and without withdrawing from my body, rolled until I was the one on top of him.

"Ride me." The dark demand in his voice made my breath catch and the furnace inside me burn anew. My body was so racked with torturous need that it never occurred to me to be embarrassed by his demand. In this place and time, there was no room for shyness.

My head fell back with my eyes drifting close as I began to rock my body against his. Rough, calloused hands slid passed my hips to grip my waist possessively. From his place beneath me, Taylor began to drive a rough rhythm, creating a pleasurable friction that compelled me to rake my nails across his muscular chest. Taylor let out a hiss of pain, and I was rewarded with a sharp thrust that raised us off the bed.

"Jesus. You're a wildcat," Taylor managed to ground out between clenched teeth. The smile I shot him could only be described as naughty. He would probably have red, angry welts across his chest come morning.

"Oh God. So good," I groaned, unable to suppress the breathy moans of pleasure leaving my lips. My body strained against the firm grip of hands that restrained the pace and intensity of my movements. It was torture being kept on the fringes, and not be allowed to fly apart like I badly needed to do. One look at his tight face confirmed that Taylor was experiencing a similar torment. The dark sweep of his eyebrows was furrowed in concentration, his jaw tense as he struggled to rein in his instinctual need to dominate.

"You're holding back." Was he inhibiting himself for my benefit?

With slow undulations of my hips, I attempted to drive him deeper and felt his sharp nails bite into my flesh. I didn't remember his nails being so sharp.

"Not yet," Taylor repeated in a low and guttural voice.

Before I was able to make another play for control, Taylor rolled until I was lying beneath him once more. He retreated, leaving my body completely and then I was flipped onto my stomach. Slightly shaking hands grasped my hips, pulling at them until my body rested on my knees and forearms. In this position, I was completely vulnerable to Taylor and I had to force myself to keep still. I got the sense that Taylor was waiting for something, so I decided to wait too.

I jumped when feathery light touches whispered along the slope of my spine. Taylor's hands travelled all over my flesh, stroking and exploring as if he were claiming his territory. By the time he ended his caresses, I was a whimpering, quivering mess.

Warm breath bathed my back, and then the heated swirls of Taylor's tongue danced on the tattooed dip of my back. A moan spilled from my lips at the wet, silken sensations of his inquisitive tongue. He licked an upward path toward my shoulder, his solid heat layering my back.

"_Soy tuyo para siempre_." His accent was heavy, breath harsh against my ear.

The sound of his voice sent shivers up my spine, although the meaning behind his words was completely lost on me. Taylor could have been talking about tire slashers and puppy kickers, and I wouldn't have cared one bit. Everything sounded sexier in Spanish.

Taylor's body trembled as his hips rocked forward, and invaded me again. Another shudder rippled through his body, and I could have sworn that the entire bed shook right along with him. With each driving thrust, with each deep growl that rumbled in his chest, I could tell that Taylor's tightly reined grip on his control was slipping.

Blood rushed through my body, my hands clutched at the sheets as the fiery wave of pleasure began to wash over me once more. One firm hand fisted in my hair while the other reached around to cup the swell of my breast. My body was on edge and screaming for release. But just like before, as soon as Taylor sensed how close I was, he backed off, giving me just enough stimulation to drive me crazy.

"Damn it, Taylor. Quit teasing me." My outburst was layered in a strained plea.

In a lightning fast move, Taylor grabbed my hips and flipped me over once more. Taylor bent over and covered my mouth with a deep groan, tunneling his way inside me. Legs wrapped around his waist, fingernails dug into his back as our bodies slid together, creating slick friction. Our lips fused, mouths moving together in ravenous kisses.

Taylor's mouth traveled licking and nipping its way across my jaw, toward my neck. I arched my back, took him in even deeper and felt his rhythmic pumping become wilder. Erogenous sensations intensified as white hot ecstasy seared me from the inside out. My inner muscles clamped down on him and felt his body tense and shake. It was incredible. I never imagined that anything could feel so amazing.

Taylor cried out hoarsely against my neck, his sharp teeth grazed my flesh before he bit down. Through the haze of seemingly endless pleasure, I felt a small sting on my neck, and was lost in the tingling heat that spread, engulfing my whole body. My head began to spin with the deliciously vibrant aura that flooded my bloodstream. I was lost, drowning in the honeyed liquid of pure euphoria.

The rapture dimmed, slipping away like the remnants of a dream as Taylor raised his head. He looked drunk. His dark eyes were heavy-lidded and unfocused. It was almost as if he was locked in some sort of blissful trance.

A bit hesitantly, I called his name and he blinked, eyes finally focusing on my face. For a long moment, he just stared at me.

There it was again, that look. It was the same look he gave me the night of our first lesson. It looked a lot like… It felt a lot like… something I didn't want to analyze right now.

And then I noticed the dark liquid on his lips.

It was blood.

"Did you… did you bite me?" I brought my hand to my neck and discovered a bit of wetness, my fingers coming away with a little blood. "Jeez, Taylor. I'm not gonna turn into anything, am I?"

Knowing that vampire bites carried venom and that Taylor wasn't exactly _normal_, it was a question I had to ask. I was finally learning to be happy in my own skin. I didn't want to turn into… something else.

"No. It doesn't work that way." A small smile curved his lips and my body sagged in relief. I was worried that my question would offend him. "Sorry. I got carried away."

"Funny, you don't look sorry." In fact, Taylor looked rather pleased with himself. He licked the blood off his lips, looking like the cat that got the cream.

In answer, he pressed a soft, delicate kiss on my lips, his thumb stroking my cheek. The tenderhearted action struck a chord of discomfort inside of me.

"Well, no more biting." Not because it hurt, but because it was unnerving how much I liked it.

'No more biting." Taylor carefully shifted his weight off me to settle on the soft bedding.

Releasing a long, exhausted sigh, I settled in, head resting on Taylor's chest, fingers splayed directly over his beating heart. Sleep began to claim me, my eyes drifting shut. How naïve I was to assume that our first night together had come to an end.

"Get some rest. We have a long night ahead of us."

"Long night?" I was unable to hide my disbelief as my eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh, I'm nowhere near finished with you." Taylor chuckled darkly. "I want to see how flexible you really are."

_12.45am_

Lesson: _Subjugation_

I was awakened by a deep groan and a soft tongue lapping between my legs. I tried to move my hands, but was prevented from doing so by the rope that bound them to the headboard.

Lips and tongue mercilessly teased my fevered flesh, drawing a moan from my mouth.

_Well, he did say he could eat me up…_

_2.13am_

Lesson: _Atonement_

Taylor rested on his back, panting with exertion while I peppered his chest and face with kisses.

"Damn, woman. Give me five... five minutes."

"Make it four, unless… you can't keep up." My head tilted to the side, my gaze became challenging.

Green eyes darkened. "I'll make you pay for that crack."

"I hope so."

_3.51am_

Lesson: _Touch, Taste, Feel_

I tried to open my eyes, but my vision was hampered by a blindfold.

The firm press of two fingers on my hand halted me when I moved to touch it.

"Leave it," he instructed softly, willing me to obey.

The sweet taste of desire.

A brush of invisible lips.

The corruption of innocence.

Silk gliding against steel.

_4.37am_

A deep, contented sigh.

Our bodies tangled together, fingers laced, slipping into sleep.

A murmured confession.

Early morning light crept through the window, coaxing me into wakefulness. With eyes still closed, I rolled over to rest on my back, stretching languidly on sheets that smelt like sex and Taylor. I couldn't remember the last time I'd had such a deep, dreamless night's sleep. Although, I still had that strange recurring dream about a giant hourglass, it seemed like I'd left the scary nightmares behind me the day I left Forks.

Next to me, Taylor still slumbered, his back rose and fell steadily with each breath. In the early light of day, he looked peaceful with the worry wrinkle between his eyebrows missing in action. Lately, it was worry over my migraines causing those wrinkles.

I lifted my hand to brush the hair out of his face, but before my fingers reached their destination, a particularly worrying memory from the night before came flooding back.

_I love you…_

A cold wave of dread and anxiety shot through my body forcing me to sit up.

Did he say he loved me?

At some point during the night I could have sworn Taylor told me he loved me as I was drifting off to sleep.

Why would Taylor even say something like that? Was it because we slept together?

My anger flared and I moved to climb off of the bed, suppressing a groan of discomfort. Sore muscles ached and protested at the sudden movement as I moved to stand. But I didn't let that slow me down. I had to get out of there before Taylor woke up and said it again. Or even worse, ask me if I loved him back.

Damn it, that wasn't part of our deal. We were supposed to be keeping things light and breezy. But _no_… stupid Spanish man just had to go and ruin things by bringing up feelings.

I was surprised to discover my clothes draped over a chair. Taylor must have brought in our stuff while I was sleeping.

I glanced up, in the process of viciously tugging on my pants, and froze.

There were ten deep gouge marks on the headboard, in the very place Taylor had been clinging to the night before. The scratches looked as if it had been carved into the wood by… claws.

_What the hell did I get myself into?_

The urge to flee grew and I found myself struggling to dress quickly while throwing glances over at Taylor's still slumbering figure.

His door swung open without a sound and I tiptoed out of his room, clutching my shoes to my chest. I almost peed myself when I heard someone snort. Startled, I looked up to discover Zach propped up on his doorframe, arms folded across his chest, smirking at me.

Damn! I hadn't been I quiet as I'd hoped.

Under his lecherous grin, my cheeks colored, remembering that Taylor and I hadn't tried to keep down the noise level. Zach must have heard quite a show last night… and then again, a few times this morning.

What was he doing up so early anyway? Zach was never one to drag himself out of bed before noon on a Saturday, for any reason. His mouth stretched into an idiotic grin and the reason he was awake finally dawned on me. The bastard made sure he'd be awake to witness my walk of shame. The big pervert probably wanted to get in a few chuckles as he teased me mercilessly.

Well, Zach would have to get his yucks elsewhere because I was in no mood. Through narrowed eyes, I took a menacing step in his direction and fixed him with a scowl that could peel paint off the walls. Zach's eyes widened, eyebrows flying up into his hairline as he raised both hands defensively and backed into his room.

Completely alone again, I made my way down the hall, stopping in the living room to put on my shoes.

"Isabella?" Taylor called out; his voice was heavy with sleep.

"Shit." I whispered, panic flaring up again.

After a couple of frantic attempts, I gave up and quickly fled the apartment, wearing only one shoe.

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, yes. I know. I'm delivering this chapter amongst many grumbles of death-threats and _Bitch, where were you?_ In my defense, work has just been insane lately and this chapter was an absolute bitch to write. So many times, I was tempted to give up on the lemon and do a fade to black. But I was sure if I did that, Guilchris would come to my house and cut me! So I pushed through and delivered. Hope the 10,000 word chapter makes up for my tardiness.

Hope you guys enjoy the lemon. Damn thing gave me so much grief. I love to read me some smut but can't write the shit.

Anyway, the countdown has begun. Only **five** college chapters left then Bella returns home. Yay!

**Back to the story: **Edward temporarily heard Bella's thoughts. What's going on there?

The Volturi are experiencing trouble of their own. Hmm...

Bella's right to worry about Volturi. Is she jeopardizing her friends by staying in Hanover?

What was up with Liz's cryptic question/warning to Taylor?

A Bella/Taylor lemon sprinkled with lessons... Team Taylors scream, "FINALLY!", Team Jacob grumbles, "Bitch, don't even talk to us."

Bella should really pay attention to the things Taylor says, both english and _spanish_!

Taylor bit her... Oh boy. What do you think it means?

Did he say he loved her?

Bella ran off... it maybe too late for that.

**A/N:** The link to pics of Liz and Bella's belly dance costumes are up on my profile.

I'm _very_ excited for the next chapter. You guys are definitely gonna want your teasers! _Things will be getting dangerous folks._

**Review **and receive your **teasers** people!


	56. Dawson's Creek Bullshit

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Flying solo folks.  
**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 56

After my less than graceful exit from Taylor's apartment, I crept back to my room. Thankfully, Liz and Ryan hadn't woken up yet so I didn't have to deal with any awkward questioning... yet.

Indulging in a warm bath helped soothe my sore muscles, but did nothing to ease the turmoil in my mind. The urge to confide in someone became overwhelming and without thinking about it, I found myself, phone in hand, dialing a number that I'd come to know by heart. She was the one person who could remotely understand what I was feeling right now.

"Damn it, Bella. Your ass had better have a good reason for waking me up before ten on a Saturday." Leah grumbled, her voice was still groggy and thick with sleep.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I blurted, "I slept with Taylor."

There were three seconds of silence before Leah shouted, "Halleluiah! So you finally got rid of the dead spiders and shook the cobwebs out of your crotch, huh?"

"Dead spiders? Cobwebs, Leah? Seriously? I'm freaking out and you're making jokes."

Some of the amusement left her voice. "All right, fine. What are you freaking out about? Was the sex god awful?"

"No, actually the sex was just… incredible." I sighed and then gave my head a shake to get back on track. "That's not it. Leah, I think… I think he said he loved me."

Leah let out an amused snort. "Oh, all right. Let me just impart this piece of knowledge right here and now. If he said it when he was on top of you… it doesn't count."

"No, I think he said it after. Right before I fell asleep."

"Wait. You keep saying _think_. Are you even sure he said it to begin with?"

"No, I'm not a hundred percent," I admitted hesitantly.

"So what did you say after he said he loved you?"

"Nothing. I kind of fled the scene before he woke up."

"Wait a minute. Tell me you didn't leave that sexy ass man to wake up alone over something you're not even sure he said in the first place." The evident disbelief in her tone forced me to rethink my actions.

Aw hell. I didn't think about how Taylor would feel to wake up alone. The only thing on my mind was getting the hell out of there. If our situations had been reversed and I was the one waking up alone, I'd be devastated. He probably felt cheap, like I'd used him for sex or something. I'm a freaking idiot!

"Damn. I think I messed up, Leah," I confessed and felt my heart twist with guilt.

Leah was utterly unsympathetic. "No shit. What was your first clue, Sherlock?" Following my answering groan, Leah continued, "Damn, Bella. Running out before the other person wakes up is such a guy move."

"Leah–"

"And that's only something you do if the guy you slept with was ugly."

"Thanks for making me feel worse, Leah." It was no wonder Taylor hadn't told me his secret. If I couldn't handle him having… serious feelings for me, how the hell could I deal with the news that he was part creature? Jeez, Taylor was right. I am a skittish horse.

"Oh, quit your moaning. When you want sensitivity, call Emily. When you want friendly advice, call Angela. When you want the truth with a side order of bitchiness, I'm your girl."

Leah had a point. I could've easily called Angela instead of calling her. Maybe deep down on a subconscious level I knew I needed a kick in the pants. And who better than the she-wolf to fulfill that need?

"And to make matters worse, Zach caught me sneaking out of Taylor's room."

"Damn, Zach caught you doing the walk of shame. You really have the worst luck, Bella." Leah cackled gleefully at my distress.

"Don't I ever. But I don't think I imagined the whole I love you thing, Leah. I really think… he loves me."

"So, what are you gonna do?" Leah sobered, all trace of amusement now gone from her voice.

"I don't know." Whatever my next move, I would have to figure it out soon because somehow I had the feeling that Taylor would come looking for me.

After a brief pause, Leah ventured, "Do you love him too?"

"I just… I'm not ready," I croaked, stumbling and tripping over my words. It was hard to trust myself. I had a nasty habit of falling in love with men I couldn't have.

"Look, I get it. _Believe_ _me_, I get it."

"You know, things were going just fine before he went and ruined everything." Why on earth did I think that Taylor wouldn't want to get serious?

"Exactly. What is it with these guys anyway? You give them all the sex a guy could want and they have to go spoil things with feelings and shit," Leah grumbled, feeling just as put out as I was. I was aware that Leah and Zach were having problems of their own. About what? I didn't know, since both of them refused to tell me what they were fighting about.

"Leah, we sound like a couple of nut jobs." I massaged my scalp, feeling a dull pain in my head. _God, not another tension headache_.

Taylor and Zach weren't the problem, we were. There wasn't anything wrong with wanting a real relationship. However, it looked like Taylor and Zach lucked out when they decided to get involved with a couple of girls who had issues.

"Leah, do you think we'll be like this forever?" We both knew what I was asking; if she thought we'd be crazy for the rest of our lives?

"Like what? Damaged and messed up on so many different levels?"

The bluntness in her tone made me flinch. "Yeah."

Leah gave a weary sigh before answering. "God I hope not. I don't know about you, but I'm getting real tired of being screwed up."

_I am too._

"Thanks for the snark, Leah." Beyond my door, I could hear Liz and Ryan having breakfast in the kitchen.

Leah went back to her crabby self. "Yeah, whatever. But if you ever call me this early on a Saturday again to tell me about your Joey loves Pacey, Dawson's Creek bullshit, I will–"

"Yeah, yeah. Kick my ass and whatnot," I interrupted rudely and Leah grumbled something that sounded like another threat before hanging up. I sat staring at the phone in my hand.

_Holy crap, Taylor Reed loves me._

The pain in my head intensified when I stood and journeyed to the medicine cabinet in search of some relief. I picked up the bottle of prescription migraine pills before setting it back down with an exasperated sigh. Those pills were as ineffective as they were costly. Since Tylenol was the only thing that ever offered any kind of relief, I reached for that instead.

I hastily threw on a robe then went in search of something to eat, before those pills had a chance to eat away at the lining of my stomach.

It took all of my courage not to run back to my room, when I walked into the kitchen and discovered that Taylor was among the three people sitting at the breakfast table. I suppose I should have been grateful that Zach, after waking up early to embarrass me, had decided to go back to bed instead of joining us. Definitely didn't need him around, wriggling his eyebrows and dropping innuendos.

Feigning impassivity, I murmured a greeting and then went about the business of gathering my breakfast. I could feel eyes on me as I claimed the seat next to Ryan. The tension of the room was thick with everyone seeming to be on edge. Liz kept throwing furtive glances between Taylor and me, observing our lack of interaction, while Ryan did his best to ignore what was going on around him. He attacked his breakfast with that single-minded purpose in mind. He seemed determined to stay out of the palpable tension that was brewing in the room.

One would think that with the active night I'd had, I would've been famished. However, with my stomach in knots, I couldn't handle anything more than a piece of toast and a few sips of coffee. For all the good eating did me. My toast tasted like sawdust in my mouth, and yet I forced it down anyway. In between bites, Taylor would occasionally glance at me, but like the chicken I was, I was too embarrassed to look at him. He was probably mad at me and he had every right to be.

I knew that I owed him an explanation for leaving the way I did. Though, I hadn't made up my mind about what to say to him. Whenever I did decided to talk to Taylor, it wouldn't be in front of an audience.

I raised my cup to my mouth and almost choked when Liz inquired, "Are you feeling better, Izzy?"

"Yes, I'm fine now." I'd almost forgotten about the little lie Taylor told so we could have an excuse to skip last night's after party.

"I checked in on you last night, but you must have been at Taylor's," Liz commented with a deliberate slowness that told me she was probing.

_Oh crap. She knows._

My mouth went dry and to my horror, I began to feel that little telltale blush crawl up my neck. Taking a moment to gather my composure, I sipped my coffee before replying, "Yes, I slept at Taylor's last night." I gazed at her coolly, silently daring her to just come out and say what she was thinking.

Through narrowed eyes, Liz stared back at me, though just as she was about to speak up, Ryan interrupted her. "Eat up, Liz. Don't forget you're coming down to the youth league with me today."

Somehow, I guessed that their trip had more to do with getting Liz out of the apartment for the day, than it did with Ryan having to check things out at the club.

Clearly, Liz thought this too because she opened her mouth again, only this time it was to protest. One look at a serious–faced Ryan and she closed her mouth with an indignant huff. Without any further questions, I quickly finished breakfast and then retreated to my room, where I spent much of the time chewing my fingernails.

It wasn't long before I heard Liz and Ryan leave the apartment and I assumed Taylor went back to his place. Sighing with a mixture of disappointment and relief, I uncurled myself from the chair by my window and then shrugged out of my robe. I went to the dresser and pulled out some clothes, tossing them on the bed.

During my self-imposed solitude, I'd come up with a plan. I was going to find Taylor, and tell him the truth about how I wasn't good at feeling things. That it would probably take a little longer than he would like, but I was willing to try. We were going to talk things out; I just had to find him first.

Standing in front of the mirror, I ran my tongue over my lips, observing their swollen redness. My entire body felt fevered and ultra sensitive to the touch. I found myself blushing as I recalled the way I responded to each of his commands. If nothing else, I'd been the perfect student to his lessons, eager, flexible and a quick learner. Everything about Taylor; his touch, his taste, even his very scent was intoxicating. It wasn't just about the toe-curling sex. When he bit me I never felt so connected to anyone in my life. It was both wonderful and scary at the same time. I wanted normal, but it was beginning to seem like normal did not want me. What other reason could I come up with for my constantly forming attachments to supernatural men?

My gaze wandered away from my face to my neck and I froze. Now frowning, I tilted my head to the side, tentatively brushing my fingers over the place where Taylor had bitten me. The teeth marks didn't resemble that of a human, but looked closer to how I'd originally imagined a vampire's bite would appear. That was before Edward explained to me that real vampires didn't have fangs. In place of crescent shaped wounds, there were two red puncture marks where his teeth had broken my skin.

It looked like fang marks. Did Taylor have fangs?

_What the hell?_

"Hey."

I started at the sound of Taylor's voice, and spun around to find him leaning against the door frame with an unfathomable expression on his face.

My mouth felt so dry that I had to lick my lips before replying, "Hey. I thought you'd left."

"I didn't." A dangerous curl appeared at the corner of his mouth then disappeared.

"Where were you this morning?" Taylor drew closer at a controlled pace, his green eyes roamed my frame; no doubt absorbing the view of me in my underwear.

"I… I had a thing." There was a breathless sort of nervousness in my voice.

A wry twist of his mouth expressed his disbelief.

"A thing? What thing?" Still, Taylor moved toward me with an easy pace of a predator that knew he had his prey exactly where he wanted it.

"I… I–I," I stuttered mindlessly as he trapped me against the wall with his body. Although he was close enough to touch, he chose to hold back, teasing me with his proximity.

"What thing?" His voice sounded slightly ragged as he leaned in to nuzzle my ear.

The doubts floating around in my head began to lessen, fears dissipating right along with them. I tried to put up some sort of resistance, but Taylor was just too good making me forget my fears.

Strong hands settled on my waist, travelling over the curve of my hips to grasp my ass and yank me flush against his hard body. My hands automatically went to his chest, feeling his firm muscles tense beneath them. I swallowed thickly, when I encountered his growing hardness pressing against the curve of my stomach.

An irrepressible shudder went through me when he lowered his head to the curve of my neck. My hands slid around his neck with one of them finding its way into his hair. My toes curled when he sensually laved his tongue over the mark. His mark.

I made one last grab for some semblance of control. We needed to talk. I had a plan... things to say. "I think–"

He took my lips in a slow, long kiss.

"You think too much," he groaned against my mouth.

And just like that, all of my questions and confusion from earlier faded away, and I was left with a feeling I wasn't sure I'd ever truly experienced before, peace.

With dizzying anticipation, I turned off my mind, allowing him to pull me toward the bed.

Daytime sex was far more _detailed_ than nighttime sex. There weren't any shadows and we didn't have the concealment of night to hide behind. Not that Taylor made any attempts to hide at all. He seemed perfectly relaxed in his nude state, merely content to let everything just hang out. While I had to constantly quell the urge to grab for the covers. This was definitely a new level of intimacy for me.

Later, I was lying in bed, drifting in and out of sleep while Taylor's fingers danced across the bare flesh of my back. I shivered with delight at the light touch of his talented hands. Every now and again, Taylor would lean in and brush his soft lips against my shoulder, his dark tresses tickling my skin. We hadn't spoken a word to each other all day, choosing instead to communicate through a series of heated caresses and languid kisses.

The contented silence was filled with the achingly melodious sound of his humming. I released a sigh of contentment, and felt his lips curve into an answering smile. I felt so safe and secured, that I couldn't help but wonder if I had ever truly felt that way with anyone else before. What a fool I was to think that I could walk–run–away from this.

Eventually, memories of my melodramatic exit began to drive away my buzz and I found myself plagued by feelings of guilt.

I propped myself up on my elbows, tracing the pattern on the pillowcase with my finger. "Taylor… about what happened this morning. I–"

"Freaked out?" I felt Taylor pull back, his warm palm resting flat against my back.

"Well… yeah." That was one way of putting it.

"Because I told you… how I felt?" I was so frigging grateful he didn't say _it_ again, because I wasn't ready to hear it.

"So I didn't imagine that?"

"No." His fingers traveled along my spine and down to my hip.

"Oh… well, you see…" I trailed off not knowing how I was going to finish my sentence. How the hell was I going to tell Taylor that I wasn't ready to say _I love you_ back to him, without hurting his feelings?

Firm hands grasped my shoulders before he rolled me over to face him.

"Look, I just wanted to let you know how I feel, that this isn't just a casual thing for me. I wasn't expecting you to say it back. Although…" he paused with a small, playful smile. "It would've been nice to hear. I've spent enough time with you to know not to try and pressure you. If anyone tries to push you into something you're not ready for, you dig in your heels and refuse to budge. It's how you're programmed. You could never let anyone rush you."

Words failed me as I stared up at him.

Surprised, would be the word used to describe what I was feeling. All these years I thought that Taylor stared at me because he thought I was cute or something. But in reality he'd been studying me, learning what made my crazy ass tick. Although, I couldn't help but feel flattered he would put so much time and effort into figuring me out, a part of me was conflicted.

On one hand, a girl liked to maintain a little mystery with the man in her life. And yet on the other, it was nice to have someone understand, without my needing to explain, that I wasn't ready to just close my eyes and jump. With Edward, I went from _hello_ to _I love you_ in just a matter of days. And just hours after breaking off our engagement, I was about to jump into another serious relationship with Jacob. I had a past history of just rushing into relationships and intended to learn from my mistakes. I wanted – no, needed for things to be different this time.

"I just want you to get used to the idea." His green eyes were dark and burning with emotion as he gazed back at me.

Taylor was utilizing the same technique someone might use on a wild, traumatized animal, in an attempt to gain its trust. He was making slow, measured movements as not to startle me. Soon he would have me domesticated enough to eat from his hand. My pathetic thoughts made me grimace. I was like a dog that had become accustomed to getting kicked, but still hoping that things would turn out differently this time around.

Deep inside, I wondered if I was being unfair to Taylor. Would I ever be ready to say it back? Was I too damaged?

"But while we're on the topic, how do you feel about us?" His expression became guarded, unreadable.

My heart somersaulted in my chest but before I could utter a word, the sound of heavy footsteps stomping down the hallway broke the silence.

My bedroom door burst open and Liz barged in shouting, "Aha! I knew it!"

"Jeez, Liz! What the hell?" Taylor and I found ourselves scrambling to cover up our nakedness with pillows.

"I knew it! I just knew something was going on between you two!" Liz continued, pointing an accusatory finger at us. Behind her, Ryan poked his head through the door and mouthed _sorry_ at us before disappearing again. Clearly his plan to give Taylor and me some privacy had failed.

Liz zeroed in on me, holding a pillow to my chest. Through narrowed eyes, she fixed me with a glare that said she meant business. "Bitch, I wanna talk to you."

With that said Liz turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

"You should _really_ start locking your door." Taylor sat up, rubbing a hand over his face.

"Somehow, I don't even think that would keep Liz out of my room." I reached for my robe and tugged it on. "I better go talk to her before she barges back in here again," I laughed weakly and felt Taylor's eyes boring into my back as I left the room.

Liz had every right to be pissed at me for lying to her. Although a part of me wondered if Liz's anger stemmed from her not being so happy about the idea of her brother and me becoming an item.

In the living room, I came upon the scene of Liz pacing back and forth. She waited for me to sit down before unleashing the full force of her anger.

"I can't believe this. I thought we were friends, Izzy." She stopped pacing long enough to fix me with a scowl.

"We _are_ friends, Liz. I just–"

"So how long have you two been sneaking around behind my back?"

"Actually last night was the first time we…" I trailed off feeling heat creeping up my neck.

Liz wasn't buying it. "Oh, no. Don't even try that with me. I've been picking up some weird vibes from you two ever since the whole Vermont thing."

"I'm telling you the truth, Liz. Taylor and I didn't sleep together until last night. But you're right; we've been sort of hanging out since we kissed in the cave."

All the anger seemed to drain out of Liz as she dropped down on the cushion next to me. "You know what, Izzy? This hurts. I've been rooting for you and my brother to get together for so long. And when it finally happens, you don't even tell me. I thought we were closer than that, but I guess I was wrong." Liz sniffed and looked away.

_Aw hell, now I've hurt her feelings, _I thought with a pang of guilt.

"Liz, the reason I kept it a secret is because… I've done all of this before."

"Done what?" Liz turned to look at me with a frown creasing her forehead.

"Done the whole…" _dating a guy with supernatural issues_. "…dating my best friend's brother thing and a lot of things got screwed up."

"I don't understand." Her frown deepened.

"You remember when I told you guys about how Edward and I broke up the first time?" Liz nodded. "Well, I didn't tell you everything. We had this misunderstanding…" _if you could call Jasper trying to rip my throat out a misunderstanding._ "… and Edward broke things off and left. He didn't just disappear on me. He convinced his entire family to move away and told Alice she couldn't have contact with me anymore."

Liz lifted a rebellious eyebrow. "And she listened?"

"Yeah, she did. They all did. And this went on for months until…" _I went after him_. "…he came back."

Comprehension dawned on her face. "So you're afraid that if things don't work out with my brother that everyone would just up and abandon you?"

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"Okay, first thing… Edward Cullen's an ass. The second thing…" Liz clenched her fist then punched me in the arm.

"Ow!" I cried, clutching the throbbing spot where she hit me. I finally confessed my deepest fears and get punched in the arm for it. "What was that for?"

"_That's_ for being an idiot. Do I look like Alice Cullen to you?" Liz's face went hard, her anger simmering just below the surface.

"You know what? I liked you better when you were hurt." Hurt Liz never punched me in the arm.

"Do you honestly think we would do that to you? That _I_ would do something like that because my brother _told_ me to?" Liz demanded, becoming more and more agitated with each spoken word. I was getting a little bit worried. Liz's mood swings were scary, and I didn't want to get punched in the arm again.

I felt my own temper flare in response. Nothing about this had exactly been easy for me either. "Jeez, Liz. Could you seriously blame me for thinking that? It's like I'm cursed or something. Every time I get serious with a guy, I get the rug pulled out from under me. And then I wind up two steps away from the nuthouse. So you'll have to forgive me if I'm not exactly shouting my business from the rooftops."

My reluctance to call Taylor my boyfriend stemmed from my fear of commitment. Acknowledging Taylor as my boyfriend–admitting that we were together–would make out relationship all the more real. More real than anything had been for me in a long time and real was scary. So freaking unbelievably scary.

Apparently, my outburst had dampened Liz's temper somewhat because her voice was noticeably calmer the next time she spoke. "My brother and me… we're not the Cullens, Izzy. But since you're so worried about history repeating itself, let me promise you something. If, and that's a _huge_ if, things don't work out and my brother completely loses his mind, and demands that I not talk to you again, I'll… respectfully decline." By the amused yet wry curve of her lips, I imagined that her courteous rejection would be something along the lines of punching Taylor in the face.

"But somehow I don't think it'll ever come to that," Liz smiled, her recent distemper completely forgotten. I couldn't help but marvel at her ability to abruptly change moods.

"Are you a psychic now?" I teased, deciding to take advantage of her good mood.

"I don't have to be psychic, Izzy. I'm just a firm believer in the saying _third time's the charm_." She smiled confidently.

Oh, so she was expecting Taylor and me to get married and have a million babies. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes.

Suddenly Liz threw her arms around me and squeezed. "I'm just so happy for you, Izzy."

"Jeez, Liz. Taylor and I only slept together. He didn't get down on one knee," I managed to wheeze out.

"I think…" Liz pulled away then paused to consider her next words. "I think that, after all this time, you're finally starting to believe that you deserve to be happy."

Maybe I was starting to believe again. Jacob was happy with Carmen. Hell, even _stuck in his ways_ Edward was getting back out there again. Surely, after a crazed red-head vampire, an army of newborns and a vampire mafia I was entitled to some happiness, right? When I added the recent drama with me getting attacked by a psycho, falling off a cliff and battling a wolf, it was starting to look like the universe really owed me. With all the shitty things that had happened to me in the past, there needed to be some kind of balance. There had to be something that made it all worthwhile.

My inner musings were interrupted once I observed the mischievous glint in Liz's eyes. _Oh no. Here it comes._

"So, how was the sex–" Liz broke off abruptly as it finally occurred to her what she was about to ask. _"Ewwww!"_ She cringed with a disgusted shudder.

I couldn't help but laugh at her expression, and feel a little relieved that Liz wouldn't be delving into my sex life. If she did, she'd have to prepare herself for a lot of talk about her brother's sexual prowess. As kinky as Liz was, she wasn't prepared to cross the naked brother line.

Too bad I wouldn't have that advantage where Angela was concerned. She'd pump me for every bit of information she could get. Especially since she and Trent weren't sleeping together yet. And it wasn't for her lack of trying either. Many a night I'd found myself on the phone, listening to Angela complain about how Trent won't give her any.

"This is so unfair! You finally sleep with someone and I'm too grossed out to hear about it." Liz complained with annoyance mounting in her voice. "This sucks. I tell you stuff about my sex life all the time."

"Yeah, you do. No matter how many times I ask you not to." I swear if I had to hear about how Ryan liked to suck on her toes or how he liked to have his nipples pinched… _Damn, I really need to get me some sexually inhibited friends._

"So, are you and my brother like in a relationship now, or what?"

"We were sort of in the middle of that discussion when you busted in on us."

"Oh. Well, don't let me stop you. Go have your conversation," Liz spoke hurriedly and began shoving me toward the hallway.

As I walked past the kitchen, I saw Ryan set some bread down on the table, and paused long enough to warn him. "Um, you might wanna disinfect that table before you make your sandwich."

Ryan snatched the bread off the table with a horrified look on his face, and I had to clamp my lips together to keep from laughing. _Poor thing_. At his reaction, I decided against extending my warning to include the counter tops and continued on my way. _What can I say?_ The tiled floor in the kitchen had been too cold for Taylor and me.

Now wearing his jeans and T-shirt, Taylor lifted his head, regarding my entrance with anxiety etched into his features.

"What does this mean for us? What happens now?" A nervous energy surrounded us, making it a battle to ignore the furious pounding of my heart. Oddly enough, knowing that Taylor didn't have all the answers, gave me the courage to lay my cards out on the table. It was time to stop running.

"So here's the thing, Taylor. There are things in my past that I will probably never be able to talk about. Talking about commitment and the future scares the crap out of me because every time I want to be with someone, it ends. Badly. And I'm freaking out because I… I want to be with you. But you should know that I'm a mess. I'm a flat out crazy mess. But if you're sure… then okay." I ended with a choked sob. The underlying emotion in my confession left me feeling more vulnerable and exposed than I had in a long time.

All right, so maybe it wasn't _just_ _a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her _material. But I'd never been particularly eloquent when it came to talking about feelings, and I didn't think that was going to change anytime soon. I was broken and damaged, but if Taylor could find it in his heart to want me anyway, then I was his. For as long as fate would allow.

Taylor's long legs ate up the distance between us as he moved to stand in front of me. "You mean it? We're a _real_ couple?"

"Yeah."

"And no more sneaking around?"

"Okay."

"And when I wake up in the morning, you'll still be there?"

"I promise."

"And we'll finally get to tell people about us?"

"Jeez, fine," I relented, acting like he was strong arming me into it, when I was actually fighting to suppress my growing smile.

There was a short pause before Taylor lifted me off my feet and spun me around. I wasn't able to hold back my giggles, holding on to his shoulders for dear life. Taylor's deep, rumbling laugh joined mine, and grew louder after we heard Ryan groan, "Oh God. You two aren't gonna have sex again, are you?"

Taylor set me back down and I sank into the warm cocoon of his embrace.

"We'll be so happy together. I'm sure of it." Warm lips gently brushed against my forehead as he spoke. And somewhere deep inside, a part of me agreed with him. We would be good together.

But there was one question still tugging at my mind. I pulled away slightly to peer at his face.

"And this?" I reached up to tenderly stroke the flesh on my neck. "What does this mean?"

"It's just a symbol of my commitment to you, that's all." His green eyes were made darker by the intensity of his emotions.

Why did I get the feeling that Taylor had just given me the watered-down version of what his mark really meant?

I still didn't know what Taylor was and to be completely honest with myself, I didn't care. For the first time in my life, I was making the decision to be happy and just go with the flow. Despite my fears for what the future would bring, I was certain of one thing. I wanted to be with Taylor and I was determined to give our relationship my all.

* * *

Angela was both smug and excited for me when I told her that Taylor and I were _officially_ together. She was happy that I'd finally gathered up the courage to carpe Taylor's diem. However, I received a different reaction when I told Emily about Taylor. Despite her many assurances that she was happy for me, she sure didn't sound that way. Did she hope I would save myself for Jacob? Didn't she already know that his imprinting had effectively killed any chance there might have been for us? Her reaction both annoyed and confused me. I hadn't been expecting a parade, but damn, some genuine optimism would've been nice.

Emily seemed to cheer up when she revealed that she and Sam were talking about having a baby. Neither Emily nor Sam had worked up the nerve to tell Leah yet. They were waiting for the right time. But, I could easily tell Emily that there would never be _a right time_ for that kind of news. Even though, Leah was moving on and finally allowing herself to be happy with Zach, news like that would still sting.

In the week following my discussion with Taylor, I'd gotten around to telling all of my friends about my new relationship status. I was a little nervous when it came to telling the one person I'd intentionally left for last.

"Hello?"

For a moment, I was taken aback by the manly voice that sounded nothing like my dad's.

"Um, hello?" I answered hesitantly and felt my stomach flutter.

"Bella? It's me Seth."

"Oh, Seth," I laughed nervously, feeling a ridiculous amount of relief. "I didn't recognize your voice." _For a second I thought_… I gave my head a brisk shake.

"Yeah, same here. How's it going?" I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Things are good. How are you enjoying my room?" Charlie told me that Seth had gotten rid of all of my stuff and completely redecorated the place.

Seth barked out a short laugh. "Forget it, Bella. It's my room now." He went on to add in a lowered voice. "The room's been a lot nicer ever since I got rid of that stale vampire scent."

"Speaking of which, how are things on the vampire front?"

"We still get a stray every now and again, but nothing like when you were around. You really are a supernatural magnet, Bella," Seth teased.

_Oh, you have no idea, Seth._

"So, how is everyone?" It wasn't what I wanted to ask, but it was close enough.

Seth fell silent before answering. "We're doing all right, but we miss you." He paused before going on in a serious tone. "It would be nice if you came for a visit, Bella."

Not knowing what to say to that, I froze, tongue being held captive by my mouth. During our phone calls, I didn't dare ask Leah about Jacob for fear that she would – and rightfully so – tell me to get a life and to stop being pathetic. I thought I'd made peace with the possibility that we might never speak again, but Seth words made me experience a familiar pang of sadness. Did he miss me? How was that even possible? Wasn't perfect imprint love supposed to fill all voids? Maybe he missed me in a kind of friend capacity. And that was if he missed me at all. After all, Seth said _we_ miss you not _Jacob_ misses you. But going back to Forks…?

Whatever I might have said was lost when Seth spoke up. "Oh, Charlie just walked in. I'll let you talk to him."

"Hi, Dad," I chirped and winced at my high pitched voice. I'd almost forgotten my real reason for calling.

"Hey, kiddo. Everything okay?"

"Off course. Why wouldn't it be?" I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans. I was calling about Taylor. My _boyfriend._

"I don't know. You sound a little strange, that's all."

"Well, nothing's wrong. I was just calling to tell you that I'm… seeing someone." Why was I so nervous?

Because telling Charlie about Taylor would eliminate any silly thoughts about our relationship being a fling. Telling my dad about us would make things… serious.

"What's his name?" Charlie asked after a measured pause.

"It's Taylor. My roommate's brother." When Charlie didn't comment, I continued anxiously, "You've seen his picture, right?"

"Hm… The green-eyed one."

"Yeah."

"Is it… serious?" Charlie questioned with mild discomfort in his tone.

_Oh god._ That was code for _are you sleeping together?_

Despite the warmth in my cheeks, I managed to confess, "Yeah. I think it is." Oh boy was it ever.

There was a profound silence before Charlie spoke up. "I want to meet him."

I really didn't need Charlie coming up to Hanover just so he could wave a shotgun in Taylor's face. Zach was still traumatized.

"Dad–"

"It's not up for discussion, Bella. I'd like to meet this young man of yours." Charlie spoke in a firm tone.

_Crap!_ "When were you thinking of visiting?" I asked, silently wondering if they would let Charlie through airport security with a weapon.

"I was thinking I'd get to meet him when you come home for spring break." Charlie spoke carefully as if he was navigating through a field of landmines.

In past conversations, Charlie had never broached the topic of my coming home, although I'd always sensed he wanted to ask. I'd left Forks so Jacob would be free to move on with his imprint, and I had managed to find happiness with Taylor. I discovered that relationships didn't always have to be about choosing life or death. I'd learned how to take care of myself, and how to make a life without the supernatural… for the most part. Although there wasn't a logical reason for me to stay away from Forks, I still found myself hesitating. Things were going great between Taylor and me and I didn't want anything to mess that up. Don't ask me how I knew, but something told me that going back to Forks would dig up a whole lot of trouble.

I did miss my dad and I was a little curious to see what Seth had done with my room. But I didn't know how to explain that, once again, my issues were keeping me from being a good daughter. In the end, I didn't have to make up an excuse because thankfully Renee had already provided me with one.

"Sorry, Dad. But I already promised mom that I would spend spring break in Florida with her." I hoped the relief I felt didn't reveal itself in my voice. Renee was really looking forward to meeting Taylor.

"Oh, that's too bad." Charlie sounded genuinely disappointed. "Maybe you'll come this summer then?"

"Yeah, maybe," I murmured, my tone noncommittal.

Charlie put on his police hat and began to question me about Taylor. What was his last name? Where was Taylor from? What did his father do for a living? Did Taylor have a criminal record? Would I mind if he ran a background check? When he awkwardly moved onto the topic of drugstore contraception, I changed the topic, and stopped him dead in his tracks.

"So when are you going to propose to Sue?"

"Propose! I– We haven't–but it's–"

As I listened to Charlie stammer and trip over his words, I began to wonder if my fear of commitment was a family trait I'd inherited from my father.

It was nice being a regular girl with a normal – sort of – boyfriend. Of course, I was still afraid, and with good reason. I was happy, but trying not to be too happy at the same time. A part of me was expecting the happiness police to come busting in and ruin things.

Still, I had to constantly remind myself that I wasn't the same girl I used to be and Taylor wasn't Edward or Jacob. I didn't have to give up everything to be with him, and he didn't have a perfect soul mate he was destined for. Liz, Ryan, Zach and Taylor were my family. It was different from how the Cullens became family because of Edward or the way the pack became family because of Jacob. Our closeness had developed long before Taylor and I got together. I'd managed to carve out and create a place for myself during school pranks, penis discussions, wrestling matches, vacations and food mishaps.

Before I hung up from talking with Charlie, I promised (with much more enthusiasm) that I would come home for the summer and bring Taylor with me. If my father wanted to meet the man in my life then fine. I wouldn't let old fears stand in the way, not anymore. Finally, it was time to move on.

Little did I know, come summer, I wouldn't be in any condition to travel anywhere. And months later, Charlie would be forced to visit Hanover under unbelievably tragic circumstances.

* * *

The ceremony hadn't begun but already I could sense the magic in the air.

I stood outside the closed doors, waiting anxiously for the music to start. Unable to stop myself, I raised the bouquet to my face and inhaled the fragrant scent of Sahara roses blended with gardenias. I ran my hand over my satin dress, fussing with the skirt. But there was no need to do that, everything was perfect.

Today was our wedding day.

The wedding march began to play, the doors swung open and my grip tightened on my bouquet. It was my cue. I drew in a deep breath and began to walk down the aisle. Sunlight filtered through the stained glass of the church, bathing its interior with an almost magical glow. White roses hung from the edges of each pew, which were currently occupied by my guests. Friends and family, everyone I knew was here today.

My heart pounded away in my chest as I placed one foot in front of the other, following the rhythm of the music.

Being the object of everyone's attention was a little unsettling, but all my anxiety faded away when I saw him waiting for me at the altar. I smiled at him, feeling a surge of happiness flood my entire being. We'd been through hell and back to get to this moment. He was my destiny and the love of my life.

He gently took my hand in his and the priest began the ceremony.

Suddenly, the light in the church began to dim, and was dying fast as I turned look at the window behind me. My hands went to grab for him and felt air.

I turned around but no one was there. In fact, there was no one in the church. I was alone.

My heart sank, feelings of dread growing. I tried to speak but no sound would come out of my mouth.

The scene changed and I found myself standing in the forest with a giant hourglass looming before me. My once beautiful ivory dress was now covered in blood. Tears stung my eyes.

_No! Today was supposed to be perfect._

If I could only get rid of the blood then today could still be perfect. Hysteria bubbled up inside me, and I began to frantically dab at my dress in a futile effort to remove the crimson stains.

I froze when a twig snapped behind me.

My heart surged, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I felt a stab of fear as the dense foliage rustled behind me.

A gust of warm breath blew against the back of my neck, and I sensed the presence of something standing behind me. Something potentially terrifying.

_Time is running out._

The inhuman voice came from inside my head and my stomach clenched in horror.

My instincts screamed at me to run, to not turn around. But my body refused to obey either request. Unable to stop myself, my eyes were lured to the side, head craning to look at–

I jerked awake at an unexpected thud, and found myself staring up at the ceiling in the living room. I sat up scanning the room for the source of the noise, and discovered a book lying on the floor. It must have slipped from my lap when I fell asleep.

A mild tremor shook my hand as I touched my sweaty forehead.

_What a nightmare. _

The setting sun cast an eerie glow about the room, prompting me to turn on all the lights. Liz and Ryan were out picking up takeout for movie night, so I was alone in the apartment. Remnants of my nightmare were still with me when I stepped in to the shower.

I closed my eyes, letting the cool water calm my pounding heart. The dream left me with an uneasy feeling in my gut. I'd grown used to having the hourglass dream, but the wedding and the last part with the presence standing behind me was definitely new. Just thinking about it was enough to make me shudder. Then there was that whole wedding scene where I was marrying…

I frowned in confusion as I paused to recall my groom. I couldn't remember who I was marrying. It was probably just as well.

A bloodied wedding dress, a disappearing groom, and a dark, ominous shadow… If this was the universe's way of warning me off of marriage, then message received. I had absolutely zero interest in getting married.

The dream seemed so real though… Another shudder passed through me and I pushed it away, determined to turn my thoughts toward my plans for the night.

I proceeded down the hall to Taylor's apartment, my heartbeat accelerated as I neared his door. I was going to see my _boyfriend_. It was ridiculous, the flood of emotion I felt at that thought. Try as I might, I couldn't prevent a stupid grin from appearing on my face. Except for us sharing a bed every night, there really hadn't been much of a change in our relationship. Things were still the same and yet different… better. We'd always been affectionate and were already used to going off on our own together. We were still us, still Izzy and Taylor.

The door swung open, and I came upon Zach sitting on the couch watching TV. By his smirk, I could tell that he wasn't at all surprised by my appearance. "Back for more, I see."

Redness engulfed my cheeks as I shot back, "Oh shut up."

An irritating grin was my only reply as I continued on my way.

Standing in his doorway, I opened my mouth to greet him, only to let the words die in my throat. Taylor sat cross-legged on the floor with his back facing the door, meditating. I stood still, admiring the intricate lines of his tattoo that flowed along the lean muscles of his back. He was so deep in meditation that he'd failed to notice my appearance.

An evil grin lit up my face. A rare opportunity had presented itself, one I refused to pass up. How many chances would I get to sneak up on Taylor? This would be payback for all those time he startled the hell out of me.

Slowly, carefully, I began to tiptoe my way across the carpet, willing myself to be as quiet as possible. A part of me almost expected him to somehow sense me and turn around to ruin my plans. But my presence remained undetected as I crept closer and closer.

Standing mere inches away from him, I could smell the fresh scent of soap wafting off his body. I was close enough to observe his slick hair, still wet from the shower. And yet, he still didn't know I was there. I sank my teeth into my bottom lip to hold back my giggles. This was going to be so good.

Leaning forward slightly, I reached down to grab his shoulder, the classic _boo!_ building in my throat.

Taylor started violently beneath my touch. Then out of nowhere, I was hit by an invisible force, and sent flying across the room like a ragdoll. Intense pain ripped through my body when I crashed into the wall. A multitude of agony tore through my head as I crumpled to the ground. The world around me faded, and I slipped into unconsciousness to the sound of Taylor screaming.

* * *

**A/N:** I started this chapter with the intention that it would be no more than 5000 words. And well... you can see I failed miserably. Damn chapter is over 8000. Sigh... maybe I'll get the next chapter. Seems like I'm incapable of writing a small chapter. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing.

Only **four** more college chapters left then Bella returns home.

Can't wait. Jacob Black is cussing up a storm in my head. He's definitely not happy with me.

**Back to the story: **

Leah is always a riot to write.

The marks on Bella's neck was... weird.

What do you think about the confrontation between Liz and Bella?

Will Ryan ever be able to eat his sandwich in peace?

Charlie wants to meet Taylor... we'll see.

What do you think Seth meant, telling Bella she should come home?

What was up with Emily's disappointing reaction to _Bella's got a man_ news?

What was the deal with the freaky ass dream?

Bella was finally happy and now she's hurt.

Why was Taylor screaming?

**A/N:** **Review** and receive your **teasers** people!


	57. I'm a fangbanger!

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Flying solo folks.  
**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 57

My body hovered, floating between the world of the wakeful and the land of unconsciousness. The voices coupled with the ache in my head, told me that I was still alive. In vain, I struggled to wake up, but just couldn't manage to do it. I was too weak to move a finger.

A breath blew across my cheek. "It doesn't look so bad," Liz murmured, her voice came from nearby.

"Taylor, calm down!" Ryan shouted forcefully and there was a crash as something broke.

"_Get__ out __of __my __way. __We __have __to __take __her __to __the __hospital_." It was Taylor's voice, but he sounded different… wrong.

"We can't risk her waking up and freaking out with people around. We have to talk to her first," Liz tried to be the voice of reason.

"_What__'__s__ wrong __with __you! __She __could __be __dying __and__ you __want __to__ talk __first!__"_ The rest of what he said was lost when his voice degenerated into a series of growls.

"Damn it, Taylor. Calm down, it's just a small bump on the head. She'll be fine." Ryan's winded words were barely heard over the sounds of a scuffle taking place.

"_Ryan, __if __you __don__'__t __move, __I __swear__–"_ Taylor began to warn but was cut off by Ryan.

"Dude, if she wakes up and sees you with those teeth, she's really gonna freak out on you. Get it together."

"_I__ didn__'__t __mean __to __lose __control. __She __surprised __me.__"_ Taylor's growly voice was filled with remorse.

"If you had been honest with her in the first place, she wouldn't have been trying to sneak up on you," Zach commented and the room fell silent.

"He didn't do it on purpose, Zach. It was an accident," Liz defended with a tinge of hurt in her voice.

Zach sighed tiredly. "Look, I know you didn't mean to hurt her, but you need to realize that Izzy can handle more than you think. She won't flip out if you tell her the truth."

"_I __don__'__t __know__ if __I__ can. __Maybe __she__…"_ Taylor's voice began to fade and I slipped away into the darkness again.

The next time I woke, there was something cool pressing against my forehead. I heard a soft murmur as I groaned and reached up to drag a damp cloth from my throbbing head. Blinking my eyes open, I discovered four concerned faces hovering over me. I was confused and disoriented as hell.

"Give her some room guys. Are you okay, Izzy? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Liz helped when I tried to sit up and a glance at familiar surroundings revealed that I'd been moved to the living room.

"I'm fine." There was a dull ache in my head, soreness in my back and shoulders, but other than that I didn't feel too bad. I almost said this out loud, but changed my mind when I locked gazes with a guilt-stricken Taylor.

He was sitting on the far end of the couch, almost as if he was afraid to come near me. Except for his unhealthy pallor, Taylor appeared normal. As normal as any guy that could throw someone across the room can look. Memories began to fill my mind. I'd tried to sneak up on Taylor and… something hit me then I became real friendly with the wall. Feeling a wave of dizziness, I groaned, dropping my head into my palms.

I just wanted to play a harmless little prank on my boyfriend. How the hell did I get from there to here?

Ryan returned from the kitchen with a glass of water and placed it within my grasp. "Here, drink this."

I took one sip then another when Ryan prodded, before handing the glass back to him. Zach sank into a chair, wearing a pensive expression on his face. Liz settled beside me, gently rubbing my back with one hand. "Are you sure you're all right, Izzy?"

Her question barely registered in my mind as I was too busy studying Taylor. _What __happened?_ He held my gaze for a few seconds before looking away guiltily. The sadness in his posture echoed self-condemnation.

"Taylor," I called softly and watched as he swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbed up and down. We couldn't go on this way, with me not knowing what I was dealing with. Or not having a clue about what could set him off.

"What's going on, Taylor?" I asked gently, scooting a little closer to him. The slight movement reawakened the pain in my back and I winced. I would be in a world of hurt tomorrow.

Taylor's fingers dug into the thick fabric of his jeans. "It was an accident." That, I'd already guessed.

"What are–" I broke off abruptly when I felt Liz shift uncomfortably. Silently, I made note to be careful of my words. Asking a question like _what__ are__ you_? would imply that they were things, creatures. No matter what I would learn tonight, I'd remember that they were still my friends.

"What happened tonight?"

When his lips firmed stubbornly, my temper flared and I snapped at him. "Damn it, Taylor. We're having sex every night. I think I deserve to know what the hell is going on."

"Dude, every night?" Zach murmured softly with raised eyebrows.

"_So_ not the time, Zach." I was in no mood to deal with his leering.

The heavy look of indecision was rife within Taylor's features, but there was another emotion existing just beneath the surface. _Fear_. He was genuinely afraid that if he told me the truth, I would break up with him. It wasn't hard to understand why he would be afraid that I would do just that. I didn't exactly have the best track record when it came to dealing with… things.

There was a long and uncomfortable silence before Taylor closed his eyes in defeat. "We're draken."

_Well, __that__'__s __new_. I stared, shock leaving me momentarily speechless. I didn't know what I'd been expecting to hear but it wasn't that.

"What's a draken?"

"Before I tell you the story I was told as a boy, I have to give you a little background into our… kind. Well… what I remember anyway." Taylor shrugged helplessly, his expression solemn.

A harried glance at Zach's riveted countenance revealed that he would also be hearing this story for the first time.

"There are two worlds–that I know of–this world and the spirit world. Thousands of years ago, the leader of our tribe, the Drogoa tribe, had the ability to spirit walk."

"Spirit walk?" Zach's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"That's the ability to leave your body and visit the spirit world. In those days it was something that was passed on to the leader of the Drogoa tribe. The guardian of the tribe was a magical beast that lived in the spirit world. Whenever there was illness or any kind of trouble, the tribe leader would travel to the spirit world for the guardian's guidance."

Taylor paused hesitantly, searching my face for signs that I was about to freak out on him. The small bump on my head still ached, and my body felt as if it had been hit by a car. Yet despite all this, I somehow managed to scrape up a smile of encouragement for him. Call me strange but, I was finding his story so intriguing. It wasn't everyday that a girl found out her boyfriend had a mystifying power inside of him.

When Taylor was satisfied that I wasn't about to run for the hills, he continued. "Well, the story starts around the time when a man named Mano was tribe leader. Mano was a prideful leader who liked to display his strength and hunting prowess. It was even said that he had nine wives." Taylor's lips quirked into a small smile.

"One day Mano readied his weapons then set out on a hunt with other men from his village. Not long after leaving the village, Mano left the hunting party and went off on his own. While stalking deer, he stumbled into the path of a bear and was attacked. He would've been killed if it wasn't for the intervention of a pale-skinned man wearing strange clothes. The man put his arms around the bear's neck and snapped it like a twig. Startled, Mano pulled away from the man's touch when he tried to help him stand. The pale man's hands were as cold as the frigid water that came off the mountain. Even more disturbing was the pale man's eyes, which were the color of blood." Taylor paused with a frown.

_Oh __no_. There was an awful sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. That man sounded very much like a vampire. A covert glance in my direction and the tensing of Zach's jaw told me that he was having the same suspicions.

"The hunters arrived after hearing Mano's cries for help and were immediately suspicious of the pale man. Their suspicion only grew after the man spoke to them in their language, telling them that he was an explorer and meant them no harm. He had come a long way and was interested in observing the ways of the Drogoa tribe. The pale man's eyes were on Mano the entire time he spoke. It was almost as if he knew that Mano was their leader. Mano cautiously thanked the man but denied entry to the village. The pale man seemed displeased but he accepted their decision and left."

When Taylor paused again, I released a breath I didn't know I was holding. I'd almost expected to hear that the vampire slaughtered them all.

"Mano and the hunters immediately returned to their village and told the tribe elders about the red eyed man. But Mano was far more disturbed than the others. He'd never seen anyone kill a bear with their bare hands before. How did this man come to speak their language? How did he find their remote village? Mano decided to travel to the spirit world to speak with the guardian. The guardian listened to Mano's account of the encounter and advised him to beware of the man with red eyes. He would bring death and destruction to the tribe." Taylor closed his eyes and just then a sad look formed on his face.

"What happened after that? The red eyed man came back, didn't he?" I asked when Taylor seemed reluctant to go on.

"Yes. He showed up a few days later, but this time he wasn't alone. He brought another red eyed man with him, though where the pale man was calm, this man was different. He seemed to be on the verge of losing control. The village men grabbed their weapons and tried to stop them from entering the village but it was no use. Spears and arrows just broke and bounced off their bodies. When they finally reached the village…" Taylor combed his fingers through his dark hair, and I was filled with a deep sense of foreboding.

"What?"

"Then pale one set the other one loose on the people of the village. He just stood there observing while the other man ripped through bodies and fed on their blood. It was like he was starving. He tore the heads off of children, clawed hearts out of men's chests and pulled off the limbs off of women." Taylor swallowed hard and opened his eyes. I could see that telling me this story was so difficult for him. I had to wonder why anyone would tell such a horrific story to a child.

For a moment I thought I was going to be sick as images of mangled bodies scared my mind. Taylor's description of the new vampire led me to believe that it might have been a newborn.

Zach was starting to look a little green himself. Though he was looking at me as if to say that Taylor's story justified what he'd been taught about _all_ vampires. That they were all soulless monsters.

"Mano became desperate. None of their weapons harmed the men and he knew that if he didn't do something, the Drogoa tribe would be completely destroyed. He traveled to the spirit world for the last time to get the guardian's help. Knowing he wasn't strong enough, Mano asked for the guardian's strength. The guardian agreed to give Mano the gift of his strength but that wouldn't be enough. To defeat the invaders, Mano would also have to accept the guardian's presence in his body. Understanding that he had no other choice, Mano consented, allowing the guardian to merge with his body and gain entry into the real world." Taylor paused deliberately and understanding finally began to dawn.

However, Zach was the first to voice his findings. "So, Mano was the first draken." Taylor nodded. "What happened after Mano went back to the village?"

"He transformed into a beast and used his immense strength to rip the man to shreds." At Taylor's revelation, I didn't dare allow my face to betray the shock I felt. Combined, Mano and the guardian were strong enough to destroy a newborn vampire.

"What happened with the first man?" I sincerely hoped Mano killed the crap out of his ass. Did all vampires make a habit out of going around and picking fights with humans? Maybe werewolves and draken were nature's way fighting back against vampires. A way to even up the odds a bit.

"It was strange. The first man didn't actually do anything except stand there while the other one slaughtered the villagers. During the attack, he stood there observing, like it was some sort of experiment. He didn't even try to stop Mano from killing the other man, and then he disappeared when it was over," Taylor remarked coldly.

"Sounds to me like the creepy dude punked out when he realized that the Drogoa tribe wasn't a bunch of pushovers." Ryan spoke up for the first time and put an arm around Liz's shoulder. She gave him a weak smile then turned back to Taylor.

"Mano thought that with the threat gone, the guardian would return to the spirit world but he was wrong. The village elders said that by agreeing to merge with the guardian, he'd unknowingly given it permission to live in his body. He would never be rid of it. Later he would discover that his children would have guardians and gifts on their own."

"Damn. Somebody should have read the fine print before signing that contract." Zach attempted to joke.

Taylor's smile didn't reach his eyes. "That was the start of the blood feud between the draken and vampires." When Zach's eyes widened in alarm, Taylor reassured him. "Don't worry. Up until the time I left Spain, the peace agreement between draken and vampires was still valid."

A cold chill ran up my spine. Why did it have to be vampires? Why couldn't it have been fairies or something silly like that?

"Vampires, huh?" The murmur was so soft that I didn't even realize that it came from me until Taylor grasped my hand.

"Now I know it sounds completely insane but it's true. Vampires really do exist." My guilty conscious niggled at me after hearing the desperation in his voice. He was worried that I would think he was insane.

Taylor released a sigh of relief when I placed a hand over his and said, "I believe you." By the look on Taylor's face I could tell that he had more to tell me but didn't want to weird me out. "I'm still here, Taylor. You can tell me the rest of it." I spoke with more calm than I was feeling at the moment.

"Ever since that day, Mano's descendants have been cursed with a gift and a demon."

"Demon?" My head snapped up the same time Zach's did.

"Now hold up. Nobody said anything to me about you guys having a demon." Zach sat up in alarm, his fingers digging into the soft cushioning of his seat.

"Oh my God, Taylor. Would you stop with that demon talk? You're gonna scare her off." Liz aimed a scowl at her brother.

"Well, what else would you call something that fights you for control of your own body?" Taylor demanded angrily and Liz huffed in annoyance. Something told me that this was an argument they'd had many times before.

"So… you have the same gift as Mano? Strength?" Tentatively, I reached behind my head to finger the small bump that was forming there.

"No, the gift is different for each of us. My gift is… Well, I'll just show you."

Taylor scanned the room until his gaze settled on the television. A look of concentration creased his brow and he lifted one hand. The TV rose into the air and hovered over the credenza. He flexed his fingers and the TV floated across the room, only stopping when the cord ran out of slack.

"Hey man, not the TV," Ryan fussed and Taylor effortlessly moved the TV back to its former position.

I picked my jaw up from the floor. "You can move things with your mind. You're a… telekinetic."

It was all so damn fantastical. A telekinetic draken? What's next? Witches, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster? When would it end? Probably after I ended up in an asylum somewhere. A hysterical giggle began to build in my throat and I quickly suppressed it.

Liz moved to take my hand, her green eyes shone with concern. "I know how you feel, Izzy."

My lips curled into a sardonic smile. "Really, Liz? I don't think you do."

Liz squeezed my hand. "No, Izzy. I _know_ how you feel."

"What do you mean–" It all suddenly made sense. Her uncanny way of always knowing what I was feeling. Her _vibes_. "You're a… a..." I couldn't figure out the word.

"I'm an empath, yeah." Liz laughed nervously and my memory went back to the visit with the Cullens. The way Liz and Jasper didn't like to be close to one another. From what I understood about empaths, they tended to soak up the emotions of everyone in the room. For two empaths to be around each other would be like multiplying those feelings by ten. Now I understood why Liz never really warmed up to Jasper, and had complained that being near him made her feel nauseous.

Although Liz's power was similar to Jasper's, I didn't think she could alter emotions like he could. If she had that ability, she would've have used it at least once in all my years of knowing her.

"So, you've been eavesdropping on my feelings all this time." I frowned as I remember the night of the ball when Liz had that guilty look on her face. She really had been snooping.

Liz was quick to deny. "Not all the time. I'm able to turn it off... most of the time." When my scowl showed no sign of letting up, Liz added, "Aw come on, Izzy, even Alice can't resist taking a peek every now and again."

"You all right there, Izzy? You're looking a little pale." Ryan asked sympathetically.

"No, I just– It's– I'm a little overwhelmed." I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. "So guys have these gifts that you got from your spiritual guardian to help you fight vampires. Have I got it right so far?" Liz nodded. "Do you have a demon–" Liz frowned. "I mean, do you have a guardian too?"

"I do but mine isn't like Taylor's. My guardian is dormant. Haven't had any troubles since I merged with mine oh… about six years ago." She aimed a pointed look at Taylor.

"What's merged?" I traded glances between the two siblings with a frown.

"As things are now, Taylor and his guardian don't share the same consciousness. When one is awake, the other is asleep. It's like having two people in one body. But if Taylor merges with his guardian they'll both be awake at the same time," Liz explained.

"And that would be a good thing?" I asked hesitantly and Liz nodded. The dark scowl on Taylor's face said that he didn't share Liz's feelings on the subject.

"My sister seems to think that if I merged with my _demon_, all of the problems with my control would just magically disappear," Taylor muttered sarcastically.

"Is she wrong?"

"Liz only thinks that way because she didn't grow up around draken. I have a cousin who lost the ability to speak when he manifested at the age of fourteen. His _gift_ is a voice that could make your ears bleed. I have an uncle who can never be touched because his skin could poison you. In the 1800's, I had a relative who lost her temper and accidentally caused an earthquake that killed hundreds of people. I've seen people change after they accept an aggressive demon. They become colder and their personalities change. My sister thinks being draken is a gift, I think it's a curse." Taylor's face darkened in fury.

"That's why he's trying to find Marianna, Izzy. He wants to know if there's some way to get rid of the guardian. Can you imagine getting rid of our birthright like it's some kind of parasite?" Liz quarreled, her voice dripping heavy with disgust.

"That isn't the only reason I'm trying to find our clan. I was only ten when I left. There are so many things we still don't know about our kind." Taylor sighed in exhaustion and then his eyes hardened in determination. "But yeah, if I find them and there's a way to get the demon out then I'll take it."

"Why can't you see that it isn't evil? It just wants to live like anyone else." Liz was pleading with Taylor to understand.

"If it wants to live then it can do it somewhere else. This is _my_ body. I was here first!" Taylor raged through clenched teeth. He gasped, horror flashing across his face before doubling over clutching his head. Something was wrong.

"Aw hell, not again." Zach jumped up from his seat and scrambled to take shelter behind it.

Ryan grabbed Liz and me by the shoulders and quickly pulled us off the couch.

Taylor's body began to shake uncontrollably as he uttered a pained moan. When the tremors subsided, he drew in a shaky breath and sat up slowly. It took a few nerve-wracking seconds before his breathing returned to normal.

"Hey man, is everything good?" Ryan took a cautious step forward.

"Yeah. It's not the full transformation, just the teeth this time." Taylor's hands dropped away from his face and I was left in awe of what I saw.

Taylor's jaw appeared wider, his canines had grown sharper and were now jutting over his lower lip. Firm lips parted to reveal a mouth full of dangerously pointy teeth.

Upon seeing this, Zach abruptly stood up. "I'm sorry, man. But I think I just hit my weirdness threshold for one day." He turned to Ryan. "I think I'll crash on your couch tonight." Zach quickly left the apartment after that. There was only so much that he could handle.

There was a profound sadness in Taylor's eyes as he spoke to Liz. "Do you see it now, Liz?" He reburied his face in his hands and my heart clenched in sympathy.

Without hesitation, I moved toward him and knelt down between his legs. "Taylor, look at me. It's okay." Complete and utter despair rolled off him in waves. I couldn't stand seeing him like this.

His head lifted and the close proximity allowed me to see that his sharpened teeth weren't the only changes to his body. The pupils of his eyes had narrowed to vertical, catlike slits, giving him a feral appearance. It felt like Taylor wasn't the only one staring back at me. My smile was steady, exuding calm despite the dangerous chill that raced down my spine. There was something dark and decidedly inhuman about the way his eyes roamed my face.

"I never wanted you to see this… it… this thing. It isn't me." His voice barely rose above a whisper.

"I understand." I cradled his face between my palms.

"No, you don't." Taylor gave me a sad smile. "Keeping this demon under control is a full-time job that never ends. I'm too happy, and things float around the room. If I get too angry, buildings shake, glass shatters or…"

"You throw people across the room?" I finished quietly and Taylor flinched. "I know it was an accident."

"My power spiked when you surprised me. I was fourteen when I first began to manifest. Since then I've taken anger management classes, practiced yoga and used meditation to keep my ability under control. But sometimes I slip up and accidents like tonight happen."

"Okay. Note to self, do not sneak up on Taylor." I joked lamely and was rewarded with a tiny smile for my efforts.

"How are you not freaking out right now?"

I moved to stand after developing pain from being on my knees. "I'm good with–"

"Freaks?" Taylor's interjection earned him a glare from Liz.

"I was going to say different. I'm used to mystical with Alice being a psychic and all." Guilt coiled in my gut at the flat-out lie I just told.

"You see, Taylor. I told you Izzy would be cool with this." Ryan smiled.

"Oh God," I groaned as a thought occurred to me.

"What? Is it your head? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Taylor rushed to my side, rapidly firing off questions.

"I just realized something."

"What?" Liz inquired anxiously.

"I'm a fangbanger."

Liz and I stared at each other and then suddenly burst into laughter.

"Oh my God! Ryan's a fangbanger too!" Liz cackled gleefully.

Meanwhile, Taylor shot Ryan a puzzled look as if to ask _what__'__s__ a__ fangbanger?_ Not being a loyal True Blood viewer, Ryan shrugged his shoulders as if to reply _no__ idea,__ dude_. They were even more confused when their wordless exchange excited more laughter.

After countless reassurances, I'd finally convinced Liz and Ryan that I was okay enough to be left alone with Taylor. On the heels of their exit, Taylor mumbled something about needing some time to himself before he retreated to his room.

I decided to wait for him in the kitchen. Several minutes of silence went by as Taylor attempted to calm himself down (get rid of his freaky teeth and eyes) by taking a warm shower. My mind reeled as I tried to absorb all of the new information that had been dropped in my lap tonight.

Taylor and Liz were draken creatures and they have a blood feud with vampires, or at least _had_. If the conversation I'd overheard between Taylor and his dad were correct, the draken and vampires had been at peace for a number of years. But it had been over ten years since Taylor had had any contact with his clan. Could the war have restarted since then? Was it dangerous for Taylor and Liz to live away from their clan?

My inner musings were interrupted by the jingle of keys. The front door swung open and Zach entered the apartment, looking around cautiously.

"Hey. What are you doing here?" Had he gotten over his fear?

"I just came to get a pillow and a few things for the couch."

I should have known. Zach was cool, but he wasn't _that_ cool. "Well, since I'm spending the night here, you could just go ahead and sleep in my bed."

"Yeah?" His eyebrows rose in surprise. Clearly, my idea hadn't occurred to him until I mentioned it.

"Yeah, I don't mind." I shrugged my shoulders slightly, the movement made my neck hurt.

"Well, thanks." Zach turned away and I expected that to be the end of our conversation for the night. But when Zach hesitated in the doorway, I realized that he had something else he wanted to talk about.

"What is it?"

Zach paused, as if he was trying to figure out where Taylor was. He registered the sound of the shower before I was able to tell him and blurted, "Are you going to tell Taylor and Liz?"

Feigning ignorance, I averted my gaze whilst biting my lower lip. "Tell them what?"

There was annoyance in Zach's voice as he spoke. "About the Cullens." He knew I was purposely beating around the bush.

"No." My gaze moved to discover Zach giving me an incredulous look.

"You can't be serious. You have to tell them the truth, Izzy."

"I can't." I didn't even want to think about how Taylor would react to the news that I took him and Liz to spend time with a coven.

"You have to. This is a huge ass deal. They have a right to know that you exposed them to their enemy." Zach was obstinate in his opinion.

"The Cullens are not their enemy. There are good and bad vampires, Zach. It's the same way with humans," I defended stubbornly, refusing to let him lump the Cullens in with the human-feeding vampires.

"Didn't you hear Taylor's fucked up story? Humans didn't hunt the draken to the brink of extinction, Izzy, vampires did." Zach stomped further into the kitchen.

"Yes! The bad ones."

"This is insane," Zach muttered to himself. "What is this hold these… _people_ have over you?"

"They're my friends, Zach, and they risked everything to save me from bad vampires. Telling Liz and Taylor about them would be a betrayal. Just like telling the Cullens about the draken." I gave him a wan smile. "I'm good with secrets, Zach. What's one more?"

Zach shook his head wearily. "I don't like keeping secrets, Izzy. Especially the ones that could come back and bite us both in the ass. _Literally_."

"Everything is fine, Zach. The Cullens are not going to come after Liz and Taylor. The Cullens don't know about the draken and even if they did, they wouldn't do anything to hurt them," I spoke with absolute conviction in my voice. It seemed like it was enough to convince him… for now.

Zach strode to the doorway, but paused to look at me over his shoulder. The expression on his face was grim. "You'd better hope that this never gets out, Izzy. Because even if you think that you're being loyal, Taylor and Liz might not see it that way."

Zach quickly exited the apartment, leaving me alone with my troubled thoughts. My pizza lay cold and forgotten on the table as my leg bounced uncontrollably. Zach's word's played over and over in my mind. Was he right? Would Taylor and Liz see my closeness with the Cullens as a betrayal? Hell, I knew that Zach saw it as a betrayal and, as far as I knew, vampires didn't slaughter his people.

Taylor and Liz didn't react in any way whatsoever when they met the Cullens, so I could assume that they only knew what vampires look like through stories. They'd never suspected the Cullens because they would've been looking for creatures with red eyes. Throughout the entire visit, the Cullens had been very careful not to touch any of them with their bare hands.

Telling my friends about the Cullens was out of the question. If they ever found out the truth, I could be forced to choose between them. All I needed to do was keep my past and present separate. To accomplish this, I would have to make some difficult choices. This life was the right fit for me, and I was determined to do what whatever I could to keep it.

My relationship with the Cullens would have to remain a long distance one. I'd have to turn down their invitation to spend the Christmas holidays with them in Alaska. Alice would be disappointed, but it couldn't be helped. Knowing what I knew now, I couldn't take Taylor and Liz to visit the Cullens.

Maybe I was selfish and wrong for wanting to keep my past buried but it wasn't my fault. My life had turned into a series of supernatural drama ever since the day I moved to Forks. After everything that had happened to me, I was entitled to a little peace and happiness. I let Edward go, and Jacob had his imprint. The way I saw it, this might be my last chance to be happy. I wasn't about to let anything from my past screw things up for me.

With my decision made, I pushed away from the table and went to see if Taylor was out of the shower yet.

The shower was still running when I entered Taylor's room, so I sat on the edge of the bed and waited. Minutes later, dressed in soft sweatpants; Taylor entered the bedroom toweling his hair. To my relief, the shower seemed to have worked its magic; his fangs and weird eyes had disappeared as if they were never there in the first place.

"Are you sure you're fine with… everything?" Taylor gestured to himself.

"It's a lot to absorb but I'm doing fine."

"I would never intentionally hurt you. You believe me right?" His gaze was solemn as he stood silently, waiting for an answer.

"Yes." Of course I believed him. Taylor would never hurt me on purpose.

Taylor's relief was evident as his lips curved into a smile, and I found myself remembering that the sharp-tooth smile he gave me a few minutes ago.

To distract myself from the small tendril if fear I felt, I changed the subject. "When we had the accident with the cliff, I felt like we were slowing down… How is that even possible? Can you fly?"

"Not fly exactly. More like float," Taylor seems shy all of a sudden. "Would you like to see?"

"Yeah." I was definitely intrigued as Taylor straightened and took a few steps away from the bed.

An intense look of concentration crossed Taylor's face. His breathing grew shallow as he drew on his power, attempting to move himself upward. His body's aura pulsed, exuding intense power. Before my eyes, his body seemed to harden, the muscles in his chest and arms grew more pronounced. A slight frown creased his brow before his feet left the floor and he became airborne.

My heart gave a startled jolt when he began to move smoothly through the air. It was incredible to see Taylor defying the pull of gravity.

"I tried to use my gift to slow our fall, but my concentration got messed up when I hit my head. Before I passed out, I was able to glide us down. We still hit the ground pretty hard though. Watch this." He slowly began to spin in loops.

Taylor grinned widely and I couldn't help smiling in return. He reminded me of a little boy showing off his talents. His excitement was understandable. Besides Ryan and his dad, this was actually Taylor's first time showing someone what he could do. He'd revealed his secrets and had entrusted me with the knowledge of draken-kind.

His muscles returned to normal as Taylor swooped down for a soft landing on the floor.

"That was incredible, Taylor." And I meant it.

"Really? You're not the least bit weirded out?"

"No way. Actually…" My grin relaxed into a smile. "I think your gift is pretty cool. You know, Jean Grey is my favorite X-Men." That was a boldfaced lie. Rogue was my favorite, but Taylor's face lit up so much that I didn't have the heart to take it back.

"I was so worried you couldn't handle this."

"Why? Because you think I'm skittish?" I asked in mild annoyance, using the same word I'd overheard him telling his father.

"Skittish? Wait a minute," Taylor spoke slowly, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Where did you hear that?"

_Oops_.

Taylor didn't know about my unintentional spying.

"I ah… accidentally overheard your argument with Walter last Christmas. I didn't stick around for all of it though."

"How much did you hear?"

"Oh not much. Just something about Marianna being over a thousand years old and how she wanted to kill your dad because he blackmailed them into giving you up. You know… itty-bitty things like that," I confessed, feeling a guilty heat all over my face.

"So you eavesdropped on me. I should spank you for that." The corner of his mouth curled mischievously as he leaned in and landed a pinch on my nipple.

"You try any of that weird shit on me, and your fangs will be back in Spain before you are." I smacked his hand away gently. "And don't change the subject. What's the deal with Marianna?"

"Marianna is the leader of my clan. She's the oldest and wisest of all draken-kind because her gift is immortality." His green-eyes gaze was steady and intense.

"Why did your dad threaten to expose the draken to get them to let you go? What did he have against Marianna?"

His expression darkened. "Believe me, the dislike was mutual. Marianna thought that my father was a spoiled, egotistical man and that my mother was too good for him. She hated the fact that he'd convinced my mother to leave the safety of our clan. She knew that my mother would be outside her protection."

"Protection?"

"Spain is draken territory. Any vampire that trespassed into our territory would be killed on sight. That kind of protection would end once my mother left Spain. My father knew all of this, but all he cared about was getting what he wanted. When my mother died, he couldn't wait to take me away from Marianna."

"I don't understand. Why would he go as far as blackmail?" Walter would have to be pretty desperate to try and intimidate a group strong enough to go up against vampires.

"My dad thinks that Marianna is cold and heartless. That she would turn me into an unfeeling killer." Taylor suddenly grasped my hands upon observing my worried expression. "Marianna isn't a bad person, Isabella. You have to understand what it must be like for her. To be the only one left behind while everyone else around you dies. Living like that would harden anyone. Her main ambition is the survival of our species. She's devoted centuries toward training draken on how to use our abilities to protect our people and if it came down to it… kill."

"You mean like kill… people?"

"Not people, vampires."

Taylor released my hands as abruptly as he'd grabbed them and I felt just a little bit colder without his touch. I wasn't sure that I liked this Marianna person, and was becoming increasingly grateful to Walter for making sure that Taylor didn't grow up with her. There were so many questions that I wanted to ask, but only one that I thought was the most important.

"Did Marianna train you?" I held my breath and almost collapsed with relief when Taylor answered.

"No. My conditioning would've started after I manifested, and that didn't happen until four years after I left Spain." He revealed and then his features turned harsh and unforgiving. "At the risk of ruining things between us, I need you to know what you're dealing with."

"What more do I need to know." The sudden change in his demeanor startled me as I'd never seen that look on his face before.

He placed a hand over his chest. "This thing inside of me is dangerous. Over the years, I've learnt ways to suppress it and for the most part, I've been successful. But for the last couple of years, I've been having more trouble controlling the demon than usual."

_The__ last __couple __of __years? _"Why?" I asked even though a part of me already suspected the answer.

"You." Steely green eyes locked my gaze and refused to let me look away. "Liz was partially right when she said that the demon and I couldn't stay awake at the same time. I haven't gotten around to telling her about how that's changed." I could practically feel the frost emanating from his tone.

Fear coated the growing chill inside me and I swallowed around my unease.

"For the past two years, there have been times when I've felt the demon surface. It wouldn't try to fight me for control of my body; it would just watch you through my eyes. For some reason, it has a growing fascination with you." A look flickered across his face. Was it anger, jealousy? I was unable to decipher the look because it disappeared as quickly as it formed.

So I was right after all. When I first saw Taylor's strange eyes, I'd sensed something unsettling in his stare.

"When the demon surfaces, does it… talk to you?" My mind refused to acknowledge how insane my question sounded.

"No. It communicates through its feelings not words."

"What could its fascination mean?" In order words, was the demon noticing me a good or bad thing?

"It could be the type of fascination a cat has for the mouse it intends to kill." Taylor's bluntness made me blanch.

My anger flared when I began to realize what he was doing. He'd tried to scare me on purpose. I finally began to see his cruelty for what it was. He was shutting me out.

"Stop trying to scare me," I snapped.

"You have to know what you're up against," Taylor insisted stubbornly.

"Why?" I yelled in frustration.

"Because I tried to kill my father!" Taylor's outburst stunned me to silence.

"I was fourteen when my telekinesis first developed. At first, things would just move by themselves, and then it got so bad that glass would shatter every time I got just a little bit upset. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't go to school and everything seemed to piss me off. My demon never showed itself but, having seen it happen to my cousins, I knew it was only a matter of time. When I finally couldn't take it anymore, I broke down and begged my father to send me back to Spain to look for them. It was just too hard on my own, I needed help. My father wouldn't hear it. The mere mention of Marianna's name would start terrible arguments. One morning, we had a huge blowout and I followed him out to the garage."

Taylor paused, and an eerie silence descended on the room.

"I watched him get into his car and all I could think about was how he was keeping me from my family… how much I hated him. I blacked out for a second and when I came to, Liz was screaming and my dad's car… It looked like a giant fist had smashed in the roof of his car. I'd tried to kill him. That was the first time my demon manifested. When my dad was finally able to climb out of the wreckage, he looked at me like…" He closed his eyes, his face tightening with emotion. "After that, he sent me to anger management and hired a private tutor until I learned to control myself enough to go back to school." He face went blank trying to disguise his pain.

Swallowing around the lump in my throat, I moved to comfort him. Though, before I was able to Taylor stiffened and held up a hand to stop me.

"Don't." His eyes were deep reservoirs of emotion.

I lowered my eyes to hide the small sting of hurt I felt. Taylor didn't want me to touch him. He was just inches away but those inches felt like miles. I didn't like the distance between us.

"Later, Liz told me that I transformed and used my telekinesis to smash the car in. If I ever get mad enough to lose control like I did that day, I could kill someone. And most likely, it would be the person I was angry with."

Did he honestly think I wouldn't understand? That I would think he was some kind of monster? From what he'd told me, I gathered that young draken were unstable, kind of like newborn vampires and young werewolves. Through no fault of his own, Taylor was suffering.

"You shouldn't blame yourself for your lack of control, Taylor. You were just a kid. It was an accident." Although, Taylor felt the need to blame himself for what happened, I didn't think Walter shared his son's mindset. Otherwise, he certainly wouldn't have kept Taylor, if he thought his son truly wanted him dead. I didn't share that thought with Taylor, convinced that he wasn't ready to hear it.

"Was it an accident? Sometimes I feel like I'm a walking disaster waiting to happen." Taylor's eyes were filled with sadness and worry. "I know I should've explained all of this before we got together, but I was greedy and selfish. Your friendship should've been enough for me, but I couldn't resist the chance to have more of you. A part of me was actually hoping that you would never have to know the truth. Now I see that I was living in a fool's paradise. I need to face reality, we both do." Taylor smiled bitterly.

"So what is this? Are you trying to break up with me?" _Please __say __no_.

Taylor shook his head. "No. I'm doing what I should've done in the first place. I'm being completely honest. To do that, I have to show you both the good and the bad side to what I am. There are risks to being involved with me and you should know all of them. I'm giving you an out in case you decide that this is all just too much for you."

"Okay, so you have issues. Just in case you haven't noticed, I've got my own little messed up drama to deal with. I get that there are risks, but let me be the one to decide how much I can handle. I'm not running away and I'm not afraid of you, Taylor Reed."

"You say that now, but this thing inside me is curious about you and I don't know what it means." He tried, unsuccessfully, to diminish the flicker of hope that came to his eyes.

"We'll figure out what it means together." _And__ hopefully __I__ won__'__t __get __murdered __in __the __process._ Taking advantage of the shift in his mood, I slowly began to crawl toward him. His eyes followed my approach intently. "Besides I would be racist, if I broke up with you now." Testing the waters, I leaned in and gently brushed my lips against his.

"I'm still human, just a different kind," he murmured in distraction as I softly kissed him on the chin.

"Superhuman." I trailed my fingers over the muscles of his bare chest.

Taylor quit playing hard to get and kissed me lazily on the mouth. One arm encircled my waist and pulled until I was sitting on his lap. Strong arms wrapped me in a tight hug, trapping my body in his warm embrace. Not that I was complaining. Tucking my head beneath his chin, I took the opportunity to snuggle closer.

"I can't believe how well you're taking all of this. You really are one of a kind." His fingers tenderly stroked the side of my face.

"Told you." Taylor might not have really understood why I wasn't flipping out to his big reveal. But I'd never been one to break up with a guy because he confessed to being more than _just_ a guy. Both Edward and Jacob were testaments to that fact.

"I'm so tired." Taylor released a fatigued sigh and I leaned away to look up at his face. His eyes were weary, features drawn.

"Come on. Let's go to sleep." I carefully crawled off his lap and onto the bed. "Oh, I'll get the lights."

Before I could make it off the bed, Taylor stopped me. "Don't bother." With the flick of his hand, the light went out and I froze.

"That's going to take some getting used to." I shook my head and went to lie down again.

Taylor didn't lie down beside me as I'd been expecting him to. Instead, he placed his head on my chest, settling the remainder of his weight on the soft mattress. Moved by his wordless plea for reassurance, I stroked his hair while listening to the comforting sound of him breathing.

Under the gentle strokes of my fingers, it didn't take long for Taylor to succumb to his fatigue and fall asleep. It felt like it had been years since I'd last slept, and yet sleep still refused to come. My mind was fraught with doubts and endless what if scenarios. Deep inside I felt an aching sense of loneliness when I came to the realization that this was what my life would always be like. Always juggling secrets and keeping the truth from the people I loved.

It was well after three when I finally drifted off to sleep. By then I'd succeeded in reining in my misgivings, finding some small measure of peace. I was making the right choice by keeping the truth about the Cullens from my friends. No one needed to know about my past.

Unfortunately for me, nothing in my life ever turned out the way I planned. And this would be no different.

* * *

**A/N:** So glad I finished this chapter. I had 3 terrible weeks of writer's block and then to top things off with the day from hell. RL is totally kicking my ass today. At least it's another big chapter to compensate for the wait.

This chapter is missing a few things that I had to leave out because I didn't want to overwhelm you guys with too much info. Don't worry though, I reorganized my future chapters and still managed to restrict it to just the three chapters.

Just **three** more chapters left and then Bella returns home. Yay!

**Back to the story:** Bet you didn't think I would create an original creature did you?

So, Taylor's story... A blood feud between draken and vampires. How many of you are more than a little bit creeped out?

Is Bella insane for staying in a relationship with Taylor, even after finding out how dangerous he is?

Should Bella be afraid that Taylor's guardian is curious about her?

Marianna sounds pretty hardcore. Will Taylor ever find his clan again?

Should Bella tell her friends the truth about the Cullens?

Is Zach right? Would Taylor and Liz see her relationship with the Cullens as a betrayal?

**A/N:** **Review** and receive your **teasers** people! There's another big reveal on its way. (cackles maniacally)


	58. Sour Sex Grapes

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Flying solo folks.  
**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 58

"So how's the paper coming along?" Taylor flicked a glance at me before turning back to his laptop.

"I'm making progress."

The apartment was filled with the mouthwatering aroma of freshly baked peaches and cream oatmeal cookies I had cooling on a wire rack. Fortunately, Ryan didn't hear when the timer went off, so the cookies would have a little time to cool before he attempted to scarf them down.

"You sure? Because it doesn't look like it." One dark eyebrow rose mockingly as his fingers paused on the keys.

"I already have it outlined." I released the spoon and tapped my forehead with my finger. "I've got it all up here." I went back to mixing.

"At least that's one problem out of the way. What about the other one?" Taylor leaned back in his chair, calmly sipping his herbal tea.

Four days had passed since I learned about Taylor's secrets and our lives had returned to normal… for the most part. I now found myself noticing many things that I'd overlooked in the past. Like the way Taylor preferred herbal tea over coffee, saying that coffee made him (and by extension, his demon) irritable. Everything in his life, from eating habits to relaxation techniques, was designed to minimize his stress levels as much as possible. My heart swelled in admiration, realizing the lengths he went through on a daily basis, to maintain a normal life.

Eventually I began to realize that Taylor aspired to be normal with the same single-mindedness that I had when I wanted to become a vampire. Taylor desired to be ordinary so badly that he was willing to suppress a part of himself to achieve it. The only difference was that Taylor's desire stemmed from fear and self-loathing, while mine had sprung from selfishness and a low self-esteem.

"Nope. Still stuck on the answer to that problem," I supplied, while adding a cup of fresh blueberries to my flour mixture.

It was my junior year of college and I _still_ hadn't figured out what I was going to do with myself after graduation. All of my friends had already chosen exciting career paths, and had taken the necessary steps toward their goals. Ryan had his football league, Taylor gave piano lessons, Zach had his seasonal park ranger gig and Liz had that internship at the museum. What did I have? I had English, which was a fine choice back when I wanted a career in teaching. I'd changed since then and now I wanted… more.

"Don't stress yourself out. You still have time." Taylor's fingers practically flew across the keyboards and I smiled to myself. It was a welcomed sound over Ryan's loud guffaws, coming from the living room. He'd planted himself in front of the television after I chased him out of the kitchen for stealing cookie dough.

"Yeah but shouldn't I have an idea by now, at least?" I paused to pop one tasty berry into my mouth before continuing to fold in blueberries into the dough.

The tapping suddenly stopped and Taylor assessed me with his gaze. "What are you doing?"

"I'm greasing a muffin tray. What does it look like?" I muttered sarcastically.

He lifted an eyebrow. "That wasn't what I meant. I was referring to all this baking you like to do. Why don't you do this for a living? Open up a bakery or a café."

"What?" I began to laugh then stopped. "Wait… you're serious?"

Taylor was dead serious. "Why not? This is something you're good at, and don't tell me you don't enjoy it because I'll know you're lying. God knows you're obsessed with any drink that has coffee in it."

I picked up the mixing bowl and began to spoon batter into the muffin pans. "It's one thing to bake for you guys. But it's a whole other story baking… _professionally_." Ever since the whole Jacob baking fiasco, baking had become something I did whenever I had the free time. It was the hobby I turned to whenever I needed to think and organize my thoughts. I'd never given any thought toward selling my pastries. "Besides I wouldn't even know the first thing about running a business."

"Just give it some thought before you completely dismiss the idea." Taylor smiled ever so slightly and resumed his typing.

"I don't even think my treats are good enough to sell." I frowned in thought as I sprinkled the crumb topping mixture over my muffins.

Taylor looked up with a short bark of laughter. "Good enough to sell? Woman, why do you think I'm working in here?" When I shrugged my shoulders, Taylor nodded subtly in the direction of the cookies.

"Seriously?" I laughed, and placed the muffin trays in the oven.

"The last time you made cookies, I only got one because I got here too late." He smiled smugly. "But that's not going to happen this time."

"And here I thought you came in here to stare at all of this." I gestured to my body.

"As much as I enjoying the sight of you bending over, I'm here for the cookies." Taylor slanted me a heated look.

I turned away from his gaze, and felt my shoulders droop when I caught sight of the pile of dirty dishes in the sink. This was my least favorite part; the clean up.

I was startled when a pair of strong hand hooked around my waist and turned me around. Sneaky bastard. I didn't even hear his approach.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" I asked when his arms tightened, pulling me against his body.

"Well, seeing as the cookies aren't cool yet. I think I'll nibble on something else in the meantime." His eyes burned with sexual intent as he backed me against the counter.

"But there are dishes." My breath caught, cheeks warmed as one of his hands began to tug at my apron.

"The dishes can wait." Hands grasped my hips and lifted until I was sitting on the counter top. He was breathing roughly as he positioned himself between my legs.

"But I'm covered in flour." We had to maintain some sort of decency. For crying out loud, Ryan was in the next room. But those thoughts faded when his finger rasped over my hardened nipple and I arched into his grasp.

"You're my goddess." He stared back at me with darkened eyes and I flushed with delight. The guy sure knew how to make a girl feel beautiful.

"So you worship me? Tsk tsk, Taylor. That's blasphemy," I teased with a sensuous smile tilting my lips. A firm hand fisted in my hair, and tugged until my neck was exposed.

"Oh, no… not the… not the neck," I murmured, quickly losing the battle as his tongue raked a heated trail down my neck. My arms went around his neck, legs moving to draw him closer. Damn him for attacking one of the spots guaranteed to reduced me to a puddle of goo.

"Oh hell, not this again," Ryan's groan effectively ruined the mood. "Come on guys, we talked about this. You can't do that stuff around the food."

Taylor's gaze was wicked as he stepped away, giving me a look filled with promises of things to come. I shot him a mildly irritated look that said _it was about damn time!_ It had been four days; a new record for us. Taylor had insisted that his demon was too close to the surface ever since his power surge. He needed to be abstinent in the time it took to center himself again. No matter how many times I assured him that his fangs were sexy, Taylor didn't want to risk having them pop out in the middle of sex.

I hopped off the counter and landed on slightly unsteady legs.

Before I could stop him, Ryan dashed over, burned his fingers on a cookie and almost knocked over the cooling rack. And Taylor was no better, trying to steal a cookie while Ryan had me distracted. I ended up chasing both him and Ryan from the kitchen with a spatula. Of course, the ridiculousness didn't end there and grew worse when Zach showed up with Liz hot on his heels. Zach called dibs on one tray and Liz threatened to _cut_ someone if she didn't get at least two cookies. In the end, I traded the cookies (minus three for myself) in exchange for them doing the dishes.

Tantalizing curls of steam rose from my cup of cappuccino as I retreated to the living room to relax. I kicked my feet up on the couch, listening to the sounds of four grown-ass adults arguing over cookies, and began to give thought to Taylor's café idea.

_Me, a business woman? Yeah right._

* * *

"Where would you like to live after college?" Taylor inquired from the bathroom.

It was almost midnight and I was reading my book assignment before bed. Taylor's question had come as a surprise as I hadn't given much thought about what would happen after college. Taylor was getting ready for bed, probably brushing his teeth with my toothbrush.

"I haven't given it much thought. Why'd you ask?" I glanced up at him as he emerged from the bathroom, wearing nothing but a pair of loose pants. He settled into the spot beside me on the bed.

"I don't know. Earlier today when you were talking about your career, it just got me to thinking about the future." At Taylor's talk about the future and the seriousness in his stare, I grew a tad nervous.

"Do you have a place in mind?" I closed my book and set it aside on the nightstand.

Taylor frowned thoughtfully. "I don't know. What do you think about staying here in Hanover?"

"Here?" Taylor nodded. "I like it here, but the winters are tough. I actually wouldn't mind moving to someplace warmer." Wherever we decided on, I hoped we'd all be moving there together.

"I guess we should all sit down and discuss this. We're in our junior year now but we'll be seniors before we know it. We should start making plans." Taylor spoke carefully as if he was anticipating a bad reaction from me. I couldn't blame him for that. Being that I wasn't a person who willingly embraced change.

After some consideration, I agreed with him. "You're right. We should start thinking about the future."

One dark eyebrow swept upward, appearing genuinely surprised by my speedy accession. "Just like that? I start talking about our future and you don't bring up the _happiness police_ even once?"

"I said I would try, so this is me trying. Don't be a smartass." I grumbled, folding my arms across my chest.

Taylor released a short bark of laughter before he reached over, pulling until I was pressed alongside him. My irritation was forgotten when he brushed warm lips against my forehead in apology. "Well, I appreciate you not getting weird on me."

"That's right. I'm wearing my big girl panties." I grinned, feeling mildly proud of myself for finally experiencing true growth. I gently trailed my fingers across his stomach muscles, feeling them tighten beneath teasing fingertips.

"And speaking of panties…" my voice trailed off when I felt his fingers lightly caressing the tiny scar on my neck. It was something Taylor did whenever we cuddled like we were doing now. I didn't think he was even aware of his habit.

I found my memory travelling back to the night he bit me, and the unadulterated bliss I'd experienced. It felt like more than just sex. I'd asked him not to do it again because I'd been weirded out by how much I liked it. But now I was curious about what had happened between us that night. Apart from what it felt like, I also remembered him licking my blood off his lips.

"I was thinking about when you bit me. I never felt anything like that before. Did you…" I hesitated and then decided to just come right out and ask. "Did you feed on me?"

The languid stroking of Taylor's fingers came to an abrupt halt and his voice was curiously soft when he spoke. "No, you're blood isn't food to me. What I did is called pairing."

"Pairing?" I rolled onto my stomach, and propped myself up on my elbows.

"It's the draken practice of exchanging essences." When my brows rose in silent question, Taylor continued, "Your essence is the life force housed in your blood. When I bit you, I tapped into your essence; absorbing it into my body and giving you mine in return. Pairing is something sacred to us because when we doing it, we're _literally_ sharing our lives with someone."

At Taylor's confession, I was hit with a flurry of emotion. On one hand, I was flattered that he'd done something so intimate and spiritual with me. On the other hand, I was pissed for that very same reason. Something so important should have been done with my consent.

Taylor warily eyed my angry scowl. "You're angry with me." It wasn't a question.

"Try livid, Spanish man. How could you do something like that without asking me first?"

"It happened in the heat of the moment. I didn't plan on pairing with you until after I'd had the chance to tell you the truth about myself. But I'd underestimated how intense our first time would be and I couldn't resist," he explained with a wry twist of his lips. "Besides, I kind of did have your permission."

"That's funny because I don't remember giving it." I was all set to argue.

"Something like tampering with your life force would require your complete trust. We wouldn't have been able to connect like that if you didn't want to. I would've been stopped dead in my tracks if I'd attempted that and you weren't ready." He stared at me intensely.

"No, don't give me the sex look. I have more questions to ask." I refused to be sucked in by his heated gaze.

"Ask away then." Taylor stretched out, looking completely relaxed.

"Have you paired with anyone else before me?"

"Of course not. I wouldn't do something like that with just anybody." Taylor wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"So does pairing mean that you like own me now? Any if you say yes, I will throw a fricking fit." My eyes narrowed in warning and Taylor laughed completely unthreatened by my rarely seen "ferocity".

"You're like an angry kitten." Taylor's grin slipped a fraction when my glare failed to lessen. "Relax, woman. Pairing has no effect on you whatsoever."

There was something off in the way Taylor worded his answer. Did pairing have an effect on him?

Morbid curiosity led me to ask another question. "You said that my essence was in my blood. How did my blood taste?"

"It tasted sweet like nectar." His eyes glazed over from the mere memory alone and gave me a tiny chill.

"You liked it." It wasn't a question.

"Yes, I did. But don't freak out. It's not like I feed on blood for sustenance or anything like that. I'm not a vampire." His face was weary as he ran a hand across it and I immediately regretted my reaction. Still, the idea of drinking blood unsettled me.

"So any more draken customs I should know about?"

His smile faded suddenly and he glanced away, seemingly racked with indecision. When our eyes met again his expression was grave. "There's one other ritual that I was told about. It's called bonding but it has been centuries since the last draken bonded. Marianna forbade anyone from attempting to bond after all the deaths it caused." Taylor quickly shook his head. "I can't say anything more about it. Sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up in the first place." Taylor clammed up as if he was afraid he'd get in trouble with Marianna for telling me their secrets.

_Bonding? Deaths?_ The more I learned about Taylor's family history, the more I wanted to know everything.

"Oh, come on. You can't just stop there." I wasn't prepared to let the matter drop, but I observed the stubborn set of Taylor jaw and realized that I'd get nowhere by badgering him.

Suddenly an idea occurred to me and I decided to try another tactic.

"You know, I can use my feminine wiles to make you talk." I sat up grinning.

"Can you?" His eyes darkened as I climbed on top of him.

I reached up and freed my hair from its ponytail, allowing it to cascade over my shoulders. His stomach muscles tensed when I swept my hands over them. A slight wiggle of my hips and I felt him harden beneath me.

"So are you ready to talk yet?"

Taylor opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted when a rather loud _Oh God!_ came from the next room. Liz and Ryan were at it… _again_. All night we'd been trying to ignore the breathy moans and loud groans to no avail.

Taylor rolled his eyes. "Remind me again why we're spending the night in your room."

"Because you're still creeped out from walking in on Zach having phone sex with Leah in the living room," I was kind enough to remind him in a teasing tone.

The whole situation wouldn't have been as bad if Zach's pants hadn't been around his ankles at the time. Since then, both men avoided making eye contact with each other. Men were so silly about little things like nudity. Liz and I had seen each other naked a bunch of times, but we were still cool about it.

"Thanks for reminding me," Taylor muttered dryly.

"Well, I guess you're not interested…" I made as if to climb off and Taylor took the bait.

Before I knew it, I found myself flat on my back with Taylor on top of me. A strong hand held mine above my head, pinning them into the soft mattress. Strands of dark hair fell forward, tickling my forehead as he hovered above me.

"How about we give them some competition?" He murmured heatedly at my ear and I released a tortured moan, feeling teeth scrape along the curve of my jaw.

I managed a very weak _yay_ as long fingers wandered across my stomach. The ability to speak went away when those fingers slipped beneath the waistband of my panties. I shuddered with anticipation by the time I feel the warm caress of his fingers.

Ryan's agonized scream jolted us out of our passion induced haze.

Taylor halted all movement and raised his head. "That sounded…"

"Painful?" I supplied and Taylor nodded in agreement. Before we could begin to speculate, a flustered Liz burst through my bedroom door.

"Liz!" I screeched, quickly scrambling out from under Taylor to reorganize my clothes.

Liz didn't seem to register that she'd barged in on us, just as Taylor was about to go in for the kill. Her hair was disheveled and dampened by sweat. She scanned the room with wild eyes, panting softly in her sloppily tied robe.

"You have to come… I–It's Ryan. He–you have to come now!" Liz was on the edge of hysteria.

"What's wrong?"

"I didn't mean to do it." Those words sent a shiver of fear down my spine as a multitude of thoughts attacked my mind. Did Liz's guardian surface and attack Ryan? How badly injured was he?

Taylor charged out of the room, leaving us to hurry behind him. Upon entering Liz's room, Taylor stopped so abruptly that I bumped into his back. Wondering what had him so stunned, I craned my neck to peek around him.

Ryan's nude form was lying on the bed, curled in the fetal position. His face was flushed and there was moisture on his face. I suspected it was a mixture of both sweat and tears. Large veins stood out on his forehead and his neck. He let out a pained whimper that ended in with a pitiful groan. The most disturbing part of what we were seeing was the way Ryan was clutching at… _himself_.

Taylor cautiously approached the bed when Ryan called his name.

"Taylor… I think I pulled something, man… I need you to take a look." Ryan released a choked sob.

When Taylor seemed to hesitate, Ryan whined, "Come on, man. I'd look if it was you."

Taylor wrinkled his nose but relented, "Fine." He was clearly annoyed at being forced to look at another man's penis for the second time in forty-eight hours.

Ryan spread his fingers and Taylor's eyebrows flew up into his hairline. "Wow… I don't think it's supposed to look like that."

"No shit," Ryan snapped irritably.

I wasn't able to gain a good view from the doorway. I didn't realize I was standing on my toes until Liz smacked me on my arm. With a sullen glance in Liz's direction, I sank back down on my feet. Apparently it was okay for her to interrupt my sex, but I wasn't allowed to see the reason for the interruption.

"You need to go to the hospital." Taylor blinked owlishly.

Ryan shook his head. "No way, man. We should put some ice on it."

"Ryan, it's _bent_ in middle. Ice is not going to fix_ that_." Taylor looked over and found me standing by the door. "Call, Zach."

"We should keep this between us." In Ryan's mind, the less people that knew about this, the better.

"Look, I'm going to need help getting you dressed and I am _not_ doing that by myself." Taylor raked a hand through his hair in agitation.

I shouldered passed a visibly guilt-stricken Liz, and went to phone Zach from the kitchen. He grumpily picked up on the fourth ring.

"Zach, it's me."

"Izzy? Do you know what time it is?" Unless your name was Leah Clearwater, you did not get to mess with Zach's sleep.

"Just shut up and get over here. Ryan needs your help."

"Ryan? This had better be good," Zach groused and I rolled my eyes.

Less than five minutes later, Zach was standing at Ryan's bedside, trying not to laugh. Trying and failing miserably. "Dude… how the hell did you manage to break your dick?"

I didn't realize I was snickering until Liz elbowed me hard in the side.

Taylor immediately took charge of the situation. "Now's not the time. We have to take him to the hospital. Help me get him dressed." That wiped the smile off of Zach's face.

Liz and I were subsequently banished to the hallway and ordered to stay there. In silence we listened to Ryan's muffled cries, and Taylor repeatedly telling Zach to shut up every time he complained when a part of Ryan's anatomy brushed up against him. When the door reopened, a fully dressed Ryan emerged with his arms thrown over Taylor's and Zach's shoulders. Taylor, not anticipating a quick fix, had packed an overnight bag, already predicting that Ryan would have a prolonged hospital stay.

"I'll call you from the hospital." By the meaningful look Taylor gave me, I understood that I was to stay with Liz.

"Wait, I'm coming with you," Liz insisted stubbornly.

"Liz, this will be humiliating enough without you being there to make it worse." Ryan looked as if walking alone was sheer agony. He was miserable and didn't want Liz to witness the humiliations he would have to endure tonight.

Liz look like she wanted to argue, but she regarded Ryan's crestfallen face and promptly shut her mouth. I did hear her murmur _stupid male pride_ under her breath as we watched them leave.

"I can't believe this is happening," Liz lamented as we settled on the couch.

"Me neither." Knowing it was wrong to pry, didn't stop my curiosity from getting the better of me. I was dying to know what happened. "Just for educational purposes, _how_ did you break Ryan's penis?"

"We were trying out this new thing I'd heard about from Keisha," Liz admitted reluctantly.

When I heard that Keisha was involved, I groaned. "Something you heard about from Keisha? Why the hell would you try anything that comes out of that crazy girl's mouth?"

"We were experimenting!" Liz sat up and the movement almost undid her robe. After retying the sash on her robe, she continued, "Anyway, she told me about this thing called daggering. It's like the ultimate rough sex."

"Daggering? The ultimate rough sex?" I grimaced, and pressed my legs together. The word daggering alone sounded violent. And violent was not a word I wanted to use in association with my sex life.

"Well yeah. So we were… you know and things were good." Then an amorous gleam came to her eyes. "_Really good_."

"Liz, concentrate." I snapped my fingers to get her back on track.

"Like I said, things were going great and then he missed and then there was this awful popping noise." Liz paused when she saw the horrified expression on my face. "God, Izzy. It was terrible."

"It sounded terrible." I agreed and made a mental note to myself. _No daggering with Taylor._ Not that we'd be missing out on anything. Taylor and I were already pushing the limits in the bedroom as is.

"When you barged in on us tonight… For just a second, I thought that you'd lost control of your guardian and accidentally hurt Ryan."

I was a bit worried that I'd insulted her but she just laughed it off. "Something like that would never happen."

"Why not?"

"Well for one thing, we could never hurt Ryan. He's too important to us." Liz revealed without a hint of a smile.

"We? Us?" I raised a skeptical eyebrow.

Liz gave me an embarrassed grin. "I know it sounds weird, but when I said we, I was speaking for my guardian too."

"Okay. So you can't hurt Ryan because he's your boyfriend?" I was attempting to determine whether or not Taylor's feelings for me would be enough to keep his guardian from attacking me the way it did Walter.

Liz appeared hesitant but then ventured, "Ryan's more than just my boyfriend, Izzy."

"Is he your intended?"

A wrinkle immediately appeared between Liz's eyebrows. "Did Taylor tell you about that?"

"No, I sort of overheard him and your dad talking about it last year." I also remembered that Taylor never answered when Walter asked about me being his intended. "By the way, what's an intended?"

"Every draken has a true-mate." At my perplexed frown, Liz went on to elaborate, "A true-mate is the person we're most compatible with and the only person we'd ever consider extending our bloodline with."

"Oh, you mean babies?" Liz nodded. "I understand that part, but that still doesn't explain what an intended is."

"An intended is the person you'd like to become your true-mate. Like a potential true-mate," Liz supplied after a tense silence.

"So, Ryan's your true-mate. How did you know he was the one for you?" In other words, how did one get themselves bumped from intended to true-mate status?

Liz shrugged her shoulders. "One day I just knew that I'd never love anyone else but him. Once we decide on a true-mate, that's it. We'll never love anyone else until the day we die."

Liz's explanation only filled my mind with more questions. Was I Taylor's intended? Did he think of me as true-mate potential? Did I want him to? He paired with me and said he loved me. But he hadn't said it since. What did it mean? He said he didn't just pair with anybody, so I had to at least be special to him.

During my silent musings, Liz was staring at me with a thoughtful expression on her face. I hoped she wasn't using her _feelers_ to read my emotions. Although I'd warned her about using her gift to spy on my emotions, like Alice, I knew she wasn't above sneaking an occasional peek.

"What about your mom and dad? Were they true-mates too?"

"Yeah and even after my mom went back to Spain, there was never anyone else for her." Liz sighed sadly. "That's the biggest risk with choosing a true-mate. There's no guarantee that the relationship will work out, and you're stuck loving that person for the rest of your life."

The whole true-mate business sounded a lot like imprinting but with a choice. The thought that a draken could choose who they would love for the rest of their lives made it easier to swallow than imprinting. Being shackled to a complete stranger for the rest of my life wasn't my idea of romance. My past experience with imprinting might have been the reason why it had left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"Has Taylor told you about what's been happening with his guardian?"

"That it's been surfacing so it can get a look at you?" I nodded. "Yeah. I know he's worried about what it means but I promise it's nothing bad."

"How can you be so sure?" Maybe it doesn't like me. Maybe it thinks I'll take Taylor away from it.

"Because I know it's not some evil monster, Izzy. My brother doesn't understand it and won't even try to. It doesn't want to take over, it just wants to share." An odd look shadowed Liz's face then.

"Does your guardian ever surface?"

Liz grinned mischievously. "Yeah, it does and sometimes… I let it take control."

Her admission startled me into sitting up. "What? I thought you said you had a dormant type guardian. Doesn't dormant mean asleep?"

"Yes but it doesn't sleep _all_ the time. You have to remember that I merged with my guardian. So when it's awake, it experiences everything I do. It loves shiny things, has a ridiculous sweet tooth and loves itself some Ryan." Her smile faded as she went on. "Taylor has an aggressive type guardian. It feeds on his anger, and uses it to try to get free because Taylor won't let it out any other way. To our guardians, this world is a giant playground they want to explore. To Taylor's guardian, you are a part of that playground," Liz finished with a faraway gaze.

_I'm a part of the playground? _What the hell did that mean? Taylor said it was curious about me. Was it an _I want to play with you_ curiosity or was it an _I want to see what your insides look like_ curiosity. Since Taylor refused to talk about it, I had no way of finding out which. Well, there was one way, but that would involve me having face time with his guardian.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Liz asked out of the blue, and it took me a while to register that she was referring to Ryan. Now that Liz was done reassuring me, she was in need of some cheering up.

Her genuine apprehension compelled me to draw her into a hug.

"I'm sure Ryan will be just fine." Couldn't say the same for his penis though.

"Can I sleep in your room tonight?" She asked in a small voice.

"Okay but…" I sniffed Liz and then quickly pulled away. "You're taking a bath first."

"Oh, right." She had the decency to blush.

As soon as she disappeared into her shower, I made a mad dash for the phone. Leah absolutely had to hear about this one, given the one time Liz thought that she had broken Zach's penis.

Leah's displeasure at having her sleep disturbed was evident by the snarl in her voice. "Who the hell is this?"

"It's, Bella." I bit my lip, trying to contain my giggles.

"Jesus. I swear. The one time I try to get a full night's sleep… This had better be good," Leah grumbled, her voice thickened by sleep.

"Liz broke Ryan's penis." I revealed and the phone went so silent that I thought she'd hung up on me.

The loud cackles that followed were enough to dispel that fear. I just knew she would get it. Making sure to keep the noise low, I joined her in some hearty laughs of my own. After we calmed down, I gave Leah the shortened version of what happened, and quickly hurried her off the phone when I couldn't hear Liz's shower anymore.

I stood up and suddenly had to grab the counter to keep from falling. One of my legs had gone numb. How did that happen? I'd only been sitting for a few minutes. I dropped heavily into a chair, and stared at my leg in confusion. _What the hell is going on with me?_

Minutes later, Liz strolled into the kitchen to find me massaging my leg in an attempt to get the feeling back.

"What's wrong with your leg?"

"It went numb but its fine now." My endeavors were rewarded when I was able to stand, and follow Liz back to my room.

We fell asleep, despite our efforts to stay awake and wait for Taylor's call. The mattress shifted beside me and I awoke to see that Taylor had returned from the hospital.

"How's Ryan?" I asked.

"He has a penile fracture and is going to need surgery." Taylor exhaled a breath, bending over to remove his shoes. I bumped into Liz when I tried to make room for him to lie down. I took in her still form and assumed that she was still asleep.

"Poor thing." I surrendered my pillow, choosing instead to use his chest as a substitute. "Crazy night, huh?"

"Yeah. Just let me get some sleep and tomorrow I will _rock your world_." Taylor joked around a wide, jaw cracking yawn.

My closed eyes flew open when Liz decided to chime in. I'd almost forgotten she was in the bed next to me. "Rock your world? It's a miracle anybody ever gave you sex with those lame ass lines."

"Quiet, penis breaker," I muttered and felt Taylor's chest shake with laughter.

"_So_ not cool, Izzy," Liz grumbled before falling silent with an indignant huff.

"So rain check?" I tilted my head to stare at his features.

"Rain check." Taylor leaned in for what was supposed to be a quick goodnight kiss. It didn't take long for that short peck to turn into a heated make-out scene.

"Aye! Still in the bed with you guys," Liz complained and we pulled away in chagrin. We'd forgotten about Liz _again_. I bit back a groan of disappointment and tried to bring my raging hormones under control. Who'd have thought that Liz would ever become a cockblock?

What would game would Taylor want to play later? Would he cuff me to the bed and then torturously cut my clothes off with his knife, one piece at a time? Maybe I'd be gagged and blindfolded again. Or maybe we'd engage in sensory play. I could never predict what kind of mood he'd be in. I couldn't wait for tomorrow.

With the excitement of a child on Christmas Eve, I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Ryan was discharged from the hospital two days after having surgery. He was advised that he would have to refrain from sex for six weeks. From the moment I heard about that little restriction, I knew I would be in for a tough time. Liz and celibacy didn't go hand in hand. She was snappish and pushed me harder than ever on our morning runs. After three weeks of celibacy, Liz was practically climbing the walls.

We were having breakfast in the kitchen one morning. Spring break was almost upon us and Liz, Ryan and Zach were talking excitedly about the upcoming trip to Florida. I couldn't wait to see my mom and Angela. I was also looking forward to meeting Trent, otherwise known as the love of Angela's life.

I was eating my breakfast, or at least trying to, but Taylor kept burning a hole into the side of my face.

"Stop," I murmured softly, so as not to alert the others sitting nearby.

"Stop what?" Taylor asked with a sly smile.

"You know what?" When he didn't look away, I said, "Taylor, I'm serious. Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what? How am I looking at you?"

"Dirty. That's how." I blurted and Taylor's sexy grin widened.

He grabbed hold of my chair, pulling until it next to his. "You want to know what's dirty." Taylor breathed into my ear and I felt the goose bumps on my arms raise. "That thing you did to me last night."

"Oh yeah? What thing was that?" I giggled softly when he nipped my earlobe.

"When you used your tongue–"

"Please!"

Liz's outburst startled us and we quickly separated to discover three pairs of eyes staring back at us.

"You two are driving me crazy with your sexy feelings. God, don't you two ever stop?" Liz huffed and Ryan glared at us.

"And all night with the noise. There are other people who would like to sleep, you know?" Ryan complained and Zach tried unsuccessfully to suppress his grin. This was all very amusing to him. Hell it was funny to me too, remembering all the nights Liz and Ryan kept me up with their freaky barnyard noises.

"It's called karma. Don't hate." I speared a piece of waffle with my fork and popped it into my mouth.

Ryan turned to Taylor. "And it's not just the sex. Look at what you've done to her. Izzy used to be sweet and innocent. Now look at her, all sexed up and wanting it all the time."

I promptly broke into a coughing fit and Taylor gently patted my back until I calmed down.

Ryan's gaze was full of disdain as he went on. "Now I get to listen to you violating poor Izzy every night."

_Oh my God._ "Violating? Seriously? You guys need to get a grip. And while you're at it, get some earplugs." Taylor and I weren't _that_ bad, were we?

At this point Zach decided to chime in, humor dancing in his eyes. "Come on, Ryan. It's not their fault Liz bulldozed the only tree in your forest." Zach guffawed loudly. The bastard was thoroughly enjoying himself.

Taylor's discomfort was evident in his stare, though faint amusement tugged at his lips. "And you should be the last one to talk about violating. Like I haven't spent years listening to you violate my sister… I'm still going to need therapy."

"Hey, Liz violates me plenty!" Ryan protested loudly.

Silence filled the room until Liz smacked his arm and hissed, "Shut up."

"_Way_ too much information, dude." Zach made a face as he shoved away from the table, taking his plate over to the sink. Zach meandered to the door and his grin took on a lecherous slant. "Long live the new Ryan and Liz." He quickly left to go to class.

Liz and Ryan left shortly after, grumbling about Taylor and me needing to be hosed down. I stuck out my tongue and teased them about sour sex grapes on their way out. We finished our breakfast and I sat on the bed watching as Taylor went into the bathroom.

Taylor squeezed toothpaste onto _my_ toothbrush and I objected, "Taylor, don't use my toothbrush. It's gross."

His reply was a boldfaced stare as he went about the business of brushing his teeth with _my_ toothbrush.

I sighed with irritation. Why did the man insist on always using my toothbrush every time he slept over? Sometimes I thought he did it to get a rise out of me. The same way I always put my feet up on his dashboard, despite knowing how much it annoyed him. It was almost as if a part of me enjoyed getting on his nerves. _Jeez, how weird am I?_

A wave of arousal went through me as I watched him examining his jaw in the mirror. He was trying to decide if he should shave now or leave it for another day. Even though I still had a couple of red scratches on my thigh from it, I didn't mind his rough stubble. My gaze wandered down his shirtless figure and I almost groaned out loud. Too bad he had a class starting in thirty minutes. If he didn't, I'd part my robe and offer him some thigh.

My thoughts suddenly drifted toward the draken.

Taylor had told me stories about how his mother was a gifted healer that had the ability to heal any wound or disease with the touch of her hands. Marianna had suspected that her gifted had poisoned her body and ultimately led to her demise. He often talked about the different gifts the draken had. Like his uncle Ramon who had the ability to dissolve into a mist and pass through walls. His aunt Gema had the gift of persuasion. She could make people do whatever she wanted by merely suggesting it. Gema was especially fond of using her gift on little boys who refused to take baths. Another cousin, Aaron, could communicate with and control plants. Any one of them would willingly sacrifice themselves to protect the family's matriarch, Marianna.

Most disturbing were the stories of draken being stone to death by humans who thought they were evil. Some were even condemned as witches and burned alive during the Spanish Inquisition. Vampires weren't the only ones draken learned to be wary around.

Finished in the bathroom, Taylor stood leaning against to doorframe and regarded my faraway gaze with interest. "What's on your mind?"

"Why does Marianna hate vampires so much?" Taylor raised his eyebrow as if to say I was asking the obvious. "I know how the hatred got started. But you told me that Marianna didn't start training draken to fight back until she was around four hundred years old. Up until that point, the draken were more concerned about staying in the shadows. You said they didn't fight vampires until they had no choice. Something must have changed."

"Do you remember that vampire I told you about? The one that started everything?" I nodded and Taylor continued, "Well, that wasn't the last they saw of him. Every few years he'd show up with a bunch of other vampires, start a fight and then disappear again. It was during one of these battles that they turned a draken."

"Turn? I didn't even think it was possible to do that."

"No one did, until a male draken got bit. None of them knew what to do so they took him home and waited. He spent the next two days screaming in agony and then it was over."

"He died?"

"The human part of him died. Without a human mind, his guardian went insane and murdered his wife. The others came together and destroyed him in the end." Taylor's expression was grave.

"After that, the vampires changed their game. Before it had always seemed like the draken were being tested, but then it became their goal to capture one of us alive. But things didn't escalate until they killed Helena, Marianna's daughter."

"What?"

Taylor smiled, it was a hollow smile. "Maybe I shouldn't have said killed. I meant to say turned."

"How did it happen?"

"I'm not exactly sure though from what I was told; Helena was tricked into capture by a human she trusted." Taylor's eyebrows drew together in a scowl and I found myself mirroring his expression. I suddenly understood Taylor's reluctance to telling me his secret.

I swallowed around my discomfort. "A human?"

"Yes. Believe it or not, there are humans that are so desperate to become vampires that they would do anything, even lower themselves to pet status." A dark shadow crossed Taylor's face. "The vampires wanted to make a trade. Marianna's life for Helena's."

"What did they want with Marianna?" A thread of confusion wound through me.

"Marianna is over a thousand years old. Can you imagine the things she's seen… the secrets she knows? There were even rumors that Marianna knew the location of other draken relatives who had managed to infiltrate high ranking government positions. If the vampires ever got their hands on her…"

"Every draken living in secrecy would be in danger," I finished for him with a sick feeling in my stomach. Marianna sacrificed her daughter to save her people. It was a choice no mother should've had to make. "So Marianna refused."

"Yes and they turned Helena as punishment." A dark shadow flitted over his face.

"So, what happened after she was turned? Did Helena's guardian go insane too?"

"Helena wasn't like me, Isabella. She was one of the few born completely human."

I looked up in surprise. "Completely human? That happens?"

"Not often, but yes it does happen. Though the odds of a human and a draken producing a draken are greater." His face instantly became guarded and he suddenly refused to meet my gaze. I fidgeted awkwardly in the long silence that followed his statement.

Taylor was saying that if we ever had kids, they'd most likely turn out like him. I didn't know how to feel about that possibility. Given that we hadn't gotten around to talking about kids or (_big gulp_) marriage.

My mind revisited an image I once had of two dark haired children, running through the forest with the wolf who was to be their father. I'd pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind when I walked away from Jacob. I wasn't sure I wanted kids or if Taylor wanted kids. Besides, it was _way_ too soon to even be thinking about that anyway. We were still in college for crying out loud.

I cleared my throat and lumbered my way back to our previous topic of conversation. "So… what happened with Helena?"

Taylor was only too happy to follow my lead. "She became a vampire, and Marianna packed up the family and disappeared."

_How sad_. "Did Helena ever try to contact the family again?" Where was she today? Did she stay with the vampires that destroyed her life? Was she alone?

"Not that I ever heard, though I doubt she even tried. Helena knew that the second she became a vampire, she no longer existed to my clan. The moment her heart stopped beating, she was dead to us. And if she ever crossed paths with the draken, they'd be duty bound to destroy her." Taylor turned to me with a serious expression on his face. "The rules are that if one of us is ever captured by a vampire…" Taylor trailed off as if unwilling to complete the sentence.

"What?" A terrible feeling of dread struck me.

"We're supposed to… commit suicide rather than let ourselves be turned into a mindless weapon." At the horrified expression on my face, Taylor rushed to explain. "You have to understand how it is for my clan, Isabella. We believe in life in this world until death, and then our souls journey to the afterlife." His hand came up to cup my cheek. "That's why we believe that vampires are a crime against nature. Nobody should live forever, Isabella." The finality in Taylor's words unnerved me.

The draken would rather die than live life as a vampire. If it were Taylor, would he choose death instead of immortality? The question was on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't bring myself to ask for fear of what his answer would be. All I could do was hope that it would never come to that.

Apparently I was unable to hide my concern from Taylor's searching gaze. "You have nothing to worry about. I'll probably never see a vampire in my lifetime." When his words failed to have the desired effect, he smiled. "I very much want to live."

Those were not the words I wanted to hear. I wanted him to say that he wouldn't kill himself for _any_ reason.

No more was said about that topic after Taylor threw a quick glance at the clock. If he didn't leave now, he'd be late for class. He went over to the dresser and began rummaging around for a t-shirt to wear.

I discovered his discarded sock lying on the ground and went to pick it up. The dull aching in my head worsened as I bent over and I immediately abandoned the task. The pounding lessened when I stood up straight. It was getting so that I couldn't bend over or sneeze without pain anymore.

Taylor spotted me while I was massaging my temples and queried, "Another headache?"

"Yeah," I grimaced.

Taylor frowned. "Why haven't you gone back to the doctor?"

"I did go back. All he did was write me another prescription for stronger pain meds." I chose to leave out the where he made me feel like I was a neurotic, crazy person who was wasting his precious time.

"You know what? If we don't see a change in those headaches soon, I'm taking you to see a neurologist. I'm worried about you." Of late, his concern for my well-being had been placing an additional strain on him.

One of his hands moved to cradle my cheek. He used his other hand to tilt my face up to his, revealing the extent of his distress.

"Don't be. I don't get them every day and they're usually worse in the morning. They'll go away in an hour or two." I mustered up a small smile for him.

It was difficult to remain optimistic seeing another doctor. The prospect of hearing another doctor tell me that the pain was only in my mind, and suggest that I seek psychiatric treatment was depressing. Still, Taylor might've had a point. Maybe I should see another doctor.

I pushed those unsettling thoughts aside and returned to our previous conversation.

Taylor was moving around the room gathering scraps of paper and his notebooks.

"That first vampire–the one that discovered the tribe. You said he kept coming around?"

Taylor paused in the middle of packing his bag, his brow furrowing. "Yeah, but it wasn't just him. He'd always be with two other vampires. They never participated in any of the fighting either. They'd just stand around like lords observing a sport or something." Taylor couldn't keep the heavy disgust from his voice.

He went back to gathering his books while the peculiar feeling of déjà vu was creeping up on me.

Lords? Three vampires?

I practically chased after Taylor as he hustled out of the room. "Did your people ever find out that first vampire's name?"

"You're full of questions this morning," Taylor joked lightly as he grabbed an apple and a muffin off the table, stuffing them into his bag. He always liked to have a little something to nibble on between classes. "I'm sure I was told the name, but I don't remember what it was. I do remember that they were part a group with a ridiculous name," Taylor murmured distractedly as he left the kitchen with me hot on his tail.

"What was it?" I was barely able to keep my voice from shaking.

_Oh please, please. Anyone but them._

"What were they called again?" Taylor paused with his hand on the door, mumbling softly to himself. He was halfway out the door when he stopped. "I remember now. They were called the… Volturi."

Without a backward glance, he left me standing in the living room, feeling like my entire world had come to an end.

* * *

**A/N:** Finally managed to crank out another chapter. Thanks for all the PMs reminding me that you guys are still waiting on your update. Your messages forced me to tear myself away from my crippling self doubts, and get my ass working on something I had control over (this story). Oh well, on to funner topics...

**Big**** Announcement!**

I will be ending this story in 60 chapters. Wait! Before you throw tomatoes and start internet stalking me, I've decided that this story is too long, so I'll be starting up a new story(or sequel) that will begin with Bella's return to Forks. My attention to detail has made this story far too long and I need a fresh canvas to paint on. I could already hear the wolf's voice in my head and he ain't happy with the way I allowed Taylor to take over a story that was _supposed_ to be about him and his Bells. Well, he'll have plenty to say in the sequel which I am very excited for.

Just **TWO** more chapters left and then Bella returns home. (Doing the cabbage patch in the background).

**Back to the story:** So Bella's getting some career ideas...

Taylor and Bella are discussing places to live after college. Too bad life is about to throw a devastating wrench in their plans.

How do you break a guys penis? Well... now you know.

Has Taylor already chosen Bella as his true-mate?

Are Bella and Taylor the new Liz and Ryan?

Bella's _problem_ is allowed to get worse because her doctor refuses to take her seriously.

So, which of you guys are surprised by the Volturi reveal?

I bet you guys can already guess the identity of the first vampire.

What do you think about the bloody history between Marianna and the Volturi?

The Volturi turned Marianna's daughter, do you believe their blood feud is over?

Now that Bella knows about Taylor's connection to the Volturi, what should she do?

**A/N:** **Review** and receive your **teasers** people! The final two chapters will be nail bitters. You'll definitely be wanting your teasers.


	59. Little Miss Hot Crotch

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Flying solo folks.  
**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 59

_Don't tell him_ was Alice's advice to me.

The first thing I did when Taylor left for class was call Alice. She'd been a little confused at first when I began to fire off questions about the Volturi. Were the Volturi making plans to check up on me? When was the last time she'd had a vision about them?

When she finally got me to calm down, I explained to her–without going into a lot of details–that the nature of my relationship with Taylor had changed and I wanted to tell him the truth about the Cullens and the Volturi. I'd planned to leave the werewolves out of the story as much as possible. As far as I knew, the draken had no beef with werewolves, so there was no need to divulge their existence.

After learning about my intentions Alice went eerily silent. _Don't tell him_, was the first thing out of her mouth. Everything hinged on what I said to him. If I said the wrong thing, our relationship would be over. She couldn't understand why I needed to come clean now, and I couldn't tell her about Taylor and Liz's connection to the Volturi. Somehow it felt wrong to tell Alice about the things Taylor had confided in me about his family.

We went back and forth with each other, me adamantly sticking by my decision to be truthful with Taylor, Alice insisting that there was no need to. At least, not right this instant. It was only after I pressed for a reason that she finally revealed that there was a power struggle going on between Caius and another Volturi member. Checking up on me was definitely not on their list of priorities, and would not be for quite some time. Alice went on to say that if they ever did show interest, they would surely contact Carlisle first.

She'd confessed that Edward had learned some things about the draken from Liz's thoughts the last time we visited them. Since then, Edward and Carlisle had been doing research to try and find out more about the draken. All of their digging had turned up very little results so far. A few myths here and there, but nothing solid to go on. I briefly considered sharing what Taylor had told me about the draken, only to decide against it in the end. I couldn't betray Taylor's confidence, not even to the Cullens.

Alice was upset that she was unable to dissuade me from telling Taylor. Still, before hanging up, she assured me that she'd be checking in, just in case I needed her to come to Hanover. Alice didn't say it but I knew she meant to be there, in case I needed someone to pick me up off the floor when Taylor left me.

Hours passed as I sat on the edge of my bed locked in misery. It wasn't fair. Why did it have to be the Volturi? What did I do to deserve this? I left Forks to get away from the supernatural and start over, only to have my past come back to haunt me. I could hardly believe it. The Volturi were the ones that turned Marianna's daughter and terrorized the draken for centuries. Don't ask me how I knew, but I was willing to bet that Aro was the first vampire to make contact with the Drogoa tribe. Just remembering the way those creepy red eyes studied me as though I was some kind of science experiment, was enough to make me shudder. Being creepy and stalkerish completely fit his M.O.

Over the course of the day, the dull ache in my head had morphed into an intense pain that made coherent thought difficult. In the midst of my crisis, I was also dealing with a terrible migraine. As if I didn't have enough to deal with? How much worse could my day get?

Despite Alice's warnings and the pain in my head, I tried to reassure myself that it would be okay. If Taylor really loved me like he said he did, he'd understand. Right? We could survive this. Alice was wrong. She didn't know Taylor like I did.

Still, deep inside, I couldn't help but worry that Taylor would think that I was a Volturi pet sent to entrap him. The thought of him hating me was unbearable.

I threw a glance at the clock. Taylor would be home any minute now.

Minutes later, I heard Taylor enter the apartment and felt my stomach knot with anxiety.

"Hey, you didn't answer any of my texts today–" Taylor rounded the corner and halted in the doorway. His eyes traveled over me, taking in my blotchy skin and eyes red rimmed from crying.

My mouth struggled to form the words that would destroy everything I spent three years building. Why did crappy things always happen to me? Why couldn't I have been a normal girl?

"I have something to tell you–about me–about my past," I said after releasing a shaky breath.

"Your past?" Confusion drew a crease in his brow as he moved toward me.

"Yes. It's about some people I used to be involved with." I knew that I was stalling.

"I know what this is about." Taylor frowned, looking disappointed.

"You do?" I stood up and had to blink away my dizziness.

"This is about what I said this morning. I told you some scary things about my family and now you're freaking out." His voice had a sad timbre to it.

"What–No… well not exactly."

His mouth twisted sardonically. "Not exactly? You look like you're on the verge of a nervous breakdown."

"Do you remember when I told you that I had secrets I could never talk about?" I asked, while doing my best to ignore the queasy feeling in my stomach.

"Are you talking about that discussion we had about your friend's secret." Nodding intensified the throbbing in my head. "Then I don't want to know."

This wasn't what I expected at all. "What do you mean you don't want to know?"

"I mean it. Whatever this secret is, I'd rather not know." His face hardened with determination. Why did he have to be so damn stubborn?

I tried again. "You don't understand–"

"No, I understand perfectly. Someone trusted you with their secrets, and now you feel like you have to share it with me because I told you some weird stuff about my family." He stepped closer. "I don't want you to feel as if you have to betray your friend." He smiled and his next words hammered his point home. "After all, how can I trust you to keep my secret while forcing you to tell me someone else's?"

I stared at Taylor incredulously. In his mind telling the Cullens secret would mean that I couldn't be trusted to keep his. He didn't want me to betray my friends, not even for him. What was I supposed to do now?

Taylor picked up on my confusion.

"Isabella, we have something special and rare." His eyes blazed with intensity as he grabbed me, trapping my face between both palms. Something passed between us then; something profound and unspoken. "We're happy. Can we just keep it that way for a while please?" His dark brows pulled together to form a silent plea and my resolve crumbled.

A hand flew to cover my mouth as a wave of nausea hit me hard. Without another word, I spun on my heels, and ran from the room with Taylor hot on my trail.

I managed to stumble over to the toilet just in time to empty the contents of my stomach. Chills racked my body and my stomach clenched painfully with every heave. A moment later, Taylor's hands were on my back offering comfort and embarrassment rippled through me.

God how many times would Taylor have to see me hunched over the toilet bowl while I retched my guts out?

"Taylor, don't. It's gross." I moan pitifully. The grip on my shoulders became insistent when I attempted to shrug it off.

"Don't be ridiculous." He gathered my hair, holding it away from my face so I didn't get any vomit in it.

When I was sure that I had nothing left to throw up, I ended up clinging to the bowl with my cheek pressed against cold porcelain. I was vaguely aware that Taylor had left the bathroom, but couldn't summon up the strength to care. My main concern was keeping my eyes closed to make the throbbing pain go away.

However, I was mildly surprised when Taylor returned and carefully helped me back on my feet. He scooped me up in his arms after I rinsed my mouth out, and carried me back to my bedroom. The drapes had been drawn, leaving the room considerably darker than when I'd left it.

He gently lowered me on the bed and left, only to return with a cool cloth to place on my forehead. Having dealt with my migraines before, he knew it was one of the few things that provided me with any comfort.

I kept my eyes closed as Taylor moved onto the bed.

"I think you're making a mistake," I whispered.

"I'll make you a deal. If I ever change my mind, I'll let you know. Okay?" Taylor spoke softly.

Still, I couldn't let it go. Taylor had no idea what he was risking by being involved with me. "But–"

"I don't give a damn about your past or the people you used to know, Isabella. You are the most important person in my world. I believe… we can make this work, but only if we let nothing and no one come between us. Let the past stay in the past." The fierce emotion in his voice made my eyes sting with fresh tears.

Underneath all the pain, I was already coming up with a contingency plan. I would trust Alice to keep monitoring the Volturi situation. But the minute I found out they were turning their attention toward me, I'd leave. Disappear. Even though it would break my heart to leave Taylor and my friends, I'd do it in a heartbeat to keep them safe. My motives for staying with them were purely selfish, of that I had no illusions. I refused to endanger them anymore than I was already doing. The day the Volturi decided to come looking for me, I'd make sure they found me alone.

Later I received a text from Alice, telling me that I'd made the right decision.

* * *

Annoyingly enough, Liz and Ryan agreed with Taylor when I went to them, saying that they also didn't care to hear anything about my past. I couldn't decide if they were heartwarmingly loyal or ridiculously naïve. Zach remained oddly quiet throughout the conversation and when asked, said that he had nothing to say. I couldn't figure out who he was more upset with; me, our friends or the Cullens.

Days passed, but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't move pass my guilt over keeping these secrets from my friends. I waited until the Liz was napping, and the boys were out to call someone for advice. Someone who would be able to understand the difficult position I was in.

"Hey, Sue."

"Bella, is everything okay?" Sue asked, sounding concerned.

I was a little nervous as I'd only spoken to Sue briefly when I would call to talk to my dad. We never really had a deep conversation before. "Yes… No. I just need to talk to you about something. I'd like your advice."

"Oh… Oh God. Heaven help that poor boy when Charlie gets his hands on him," Sue murmured worriedly as if she was talking to herself.

"Get his hands on… What are you talking about?" I asked but Sue barely heard me.

"How far along are you?" There was a slight tremor in her voice.

My jaw dropped and the phone almost fell out of my hands. "What? That's–I'm not pregnant."

I thought I heard Sue sigh _Oh thank God_ under her breath. "What's going on then? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"Not really." I paused, worrying my bottom lip between my teeth. "Leah told me that the council elders voting against telling dad about the wolves. I was wondering… because there's this guy and he means… and I'm having trouble keeping these secrets from him. I was wondering–"

"How I handle keeping secrets from your father?" Sue filled in.

"Well, yeah."

"I'll admit that it isn't easy. Knowing the things that I know and not being able to share them with your father is… difficult. But I do my best not to let my secrets interfere with our relationship." Hearing the confidence in Sue's voice filled me with envy.

"But how can you have a relationship built on a lie?" The moment those words were out of my mouth, I wanted to suck them back in. I'd called Sue for advice, not to insult her relationship with my dad.

Thankfully, my thoughtless words hadn't offended Sue. The smile in her voice was easily detectable over the phone. "My relationship isn't built on a lie, Bella. It's build on mutual love, trust and understanding. Yes, my secrets are a part of me, but it doesn't define who I am or who I am with Charlie."

I still wasn't convinced that secrets were healthy for relationships. "Yeah but–"

"Okay, look at it this way. Does knowing about vampires and werewolves make things easier for you? Can you honestly say that knowing would make things easier for Taylor?"

Sue had me there. If anything, knowing had made my life a hell of a lot harder than it had to be. Of late I'd found myself wishing I could return to my pre-supernatural ignorance. Looking back, life seemed so much simpler then. No hearts to break, no wars to start and no life or death choices. It was almost enough to make me wish I'd never moved to Forks to begin with. Though when faced with the thought of never knowing Edward or meeting Jacob again, I couldn't quite bring myself to regret leaving Phoenix.

"You're right. Taylor's better off not knowing." Especially since he'd made it clear that he'd rather not know about anything that could threaten our happiness. At least not right now.

Sue sighed, sounding a little sad and somehow I knew that she was thinking about Harry. "You know, Bella. Happiness, real happiness doesn't come along often. Sometimes you have to take it wherever you can find it. Don't let your past determine the rest of your life."

She was right. If there was one thing I'd learned from the whole Jacob saga was that happiness was fleeting. Why was I so eager to sabotage the good thing I had with Taylor when I knew, all too well, how quickly it could all be taken from me? I was so convinced that things wouldn't work out, I was looking for reasons to end it.

"Thanks, Sue." It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

"Thanks for what?"

"For helping me put things in perspective."

We said our goodbyes and I hung up, feeling a whole lot better than I had in days. Just as I set the phone down, Taylor and Ryan entered the apartment, carrying takeout from that new Chinese restaurant we'd been dying to try. Zach followed carrying beer. The scent of food lured a half starved Liz out of her room.

Taylor barely had time to move the takeout bags out of the way before I threw my arms around him.

In the background, Liz went _aw_, Ryan grumbled about getting the hose and Taylor asked, "Is everything all right?"

A soft smile lit my face as I smiled up at him. "Everything is perfect."

* * *

The light behind my closed lids told me that it was morning, but I was reluctant to wake up. Instead, I burrowed deeper into the covers in search of warmth and the firm body that should've been next to mine. Encountering nothing but an empty space left me to assume that Taylor had already gotten up. It was far too early for me to wonder where he'd gone, so I ended my musings with the intent to go right back to sleep.

The covers at my feet rustled and then there was a presence hovering over my feet. Still feigning sleep, I bit back a smile as a damp breath heated my legs. Warm lips danced a trail up my thighs, teeth tugging briefly at my shorts before moving onward. Questing fingers nudged my tank top higher, and then a nose grazed the curve of my lower belly. I giggled softly at the ticklish sensation of feathery kisses being placed on my navel. The tickling stopped and a cool object drifted across my flesh. A moment later, the rich timbre of Taylor's voice filled the tranquil silence of the room.

_Is there anybody going to listen to my story,  
all about the girl who came to stay?  
She's the kind of girl you want so much  
it makes you sorry.  
Still, you don't regret a single day.  
Ah girl! Girl..._

With a budding smile, I threw back the covers and met Taylor's mischievous gaze. He crawled over me with a playfulness that had been missing from our relationship of late.

"I have a present for you."

"You do?"

"Hold out your hand." Taylor said and being intrigued, I did so without hesitation.

Taylor opened his fist, allowing a gold heart-shaped locket to slip from his grasp. He dropped it into my palm and I turned it over with my fingers, admiring the beautiful floral design. My face warmed when I came across our initials, engraved on the smooth back.

The longer I stared, the more familiar the locket began to appear. I dredged up a memory from last year of a similar locket in the window of an antique shop. Taylor and I were walking down the street on our way to meet up with the others at a pizzeria when it caught my eye. I'd never been the type of girl to go all goo-goo eyes over a piece of jewelry, though something about it drew me. I just had to have it. But as we were already late, I decided to leave with the intention of coming back and buying it later. I'd been disappointed when I returned to the shop only to discover that I was too late. Someone else had already purchased it.

My gaze switched from the locket to Taylor, who'd been silently reading the emotion flitting across my face.

My voice was curiously uneven when I asked, "Is this the same locket from that antique shop?"

"Yes."A wry smile touched his mouth.

"But–Wait, you've had it all this time?" I was flabbergasted.

"Open it." There was a gleam of anticipation in his eyes.

I slipped my fingernail into the seam, and wiggled until the locket popped open. The right frame held a tiny picture of us together.

"With you, I've learned that timing is everything. I've been waiting for the right time to give it to you." His lips quirked in a half-smile and my heart fluttered.

That would mean Taylor had the locket around the time that I was still dating Dillon. Back when I was so determined not to ruin our friendship by dating him. Jeez, what a moron I was.

When I walked away from Jacob and Edward, I did so thinking that I was leaving behind my only chance at happiness. I never expected to care or have anyone care about me like that again.

His thumb brushed the corner of my mouth. I watched him, peering back at me with a hint of adoration softening his eyes.

_He's been waiting all this time._

Taylor loved me with a depth of feeling that I couldn't even begin to comprehend. And I was suddenly struck by an all too familiar emotion. It was something I'd been trying to ignore for some time now.

I loved him too.

Although that love was just as strong as the feelings I had for Jacob and Edward, it was different. Each of them went about claiming my heart using different methods. Edward dazzled his way in, Jacob fought and clawed his way and Taylor waited patiently until I was ready to let him in. My relationship with Taylor had started off as friendship and had naturally blossomed into more. Without any threats, ultimatums or lives hanging in the balance.

To my absolute embarrassment, my throat tightened painfully and tears began to sting my eyes. I clenched my eyes shut in a pathetic attempt to stem the hot tears brimming there. I was about to turn into a blubbering idiot right in front of him.

"Hey," Taylor murmured softly. "What's wrong?"

_Not yet._

I was overwhelmed and not ready to talk about what I was feeling.

Opening my eyes, I reached up, grasped him by the nape of his neck and crushed my mouth to his. At first, Taylor stiffened in reluctance, knowing that I was attempting to distract him. And then he came to life in my arms, warm mouth opening beneath mine, his weight pressing me into the mattress. With a sense of urgency, I buried my fingers in his hair, feeling his hand begin to tug at my shorts.

Someone picked that precise moment to start pounding on the bedroom door. When the racket went unanswered the pounding became insistent.

"Hey! Why am I sensing sexy feelings?" Liz shouted through the door.

We ignored her because I'd adopted the recent habit of locking my door whenever Taylor slept over. So imagine our surprise when the bedroom door opened and Liz came barreling into the room.

"I thought you locked the door." Taylor groaned and buried his face in my neck, breathing heavily.

"Crap. I forgot to lock it when I went into the kitchen for a glass of water last night."

Liz prodded Taylor in the back with her foot. "Hey, get off her."

"Go away, Liz."

"Forget it. You had her last night. It's _my_ turn now." This made my eyebrows fly up into my hairline and Liz colored. "Okay. _So_ did not mean it like that. Did you forget we're supposed to go jogging this morning?"

"We were sort of in the middle of something." I sighed.

"Then it's a good thing I had my feelers out." Damn her and her feelers.

"Liz, do I have to make Taylor show you his ass again to get you to leave?" I threatened and felt Taylor's lips curve into a smile.

"If I so much as see one ass cheek, there will be hell to pay," Liz warned with a menacing scowl.

I released an irritated breath and nudged at Taylor shoulders. He withdrew hesitantly, fixing me with a stare that said he knew I'd been trying to distract him earlier.

The crisp morning air surrounded us as we jogged, sneakers pounding along the trail. My eyes were firmly glued to the dirt path in front of us. I wasn't admiring nature, no. I was on the lookout for anything that could cause me to fall or stumble. With the return of my previously forgotten clumsiness, I also had to give up my dance class. Though, my increased workload would've forced me to quit the classes for a while anyway. Our junior year was turning out to be the busiest one yet and senior year was shaping up to be even tougher.

There were very few people out jogging on this trail, since we left the car. That had a lot to do with our earlier than usual start. Based on Liz's complaints, I slowed us down every time I stopped to say hi to somebody we knew, or my apparent inability to pass a stroller without looking in. Without any distractions, we'd be able to maintain a good pace while she cracked the whip and extended our run to _three_ torturous miles.

"So… what's going on with you and my brother?" Liz slanted me a questioning look.

"A few weeks ago, Taylor told me he loved me and I freaked out and he hasn't said it since."

"He finally got up the courage to tell you, huh?" Liz grinned. "I'm glad. He's been sitting on his feelings for a long time."

"Long time? Just how long are we talking here?" Couldn't have been for more than a couple of months or so.

Liz shot me a strange look. "Izzy, please tell me you've noticed that my brother has been in love with you since the day you two met." At my shocked expression, Liz exclaimed, "Oh my God! How could you _not_ know?"

"Because I live my life under a rock, that's why!" My outburst drew the curious gazes of a couple jogging in the opposite direction. My following words were considerably softer. "I knew that he loved me–like family–but I didn't know he _love_ loved me."

"Okay, so he finally said the words. What happened afterward?"

"Not much really. I… sort of freaked and ran out on him." I was still more than a little embarrassed about my reaction.

"God what did Edward and Jacob do to you?" Liz slid me a sidelong glance filled with concern and a touch of pity.

"It's not what they did to me; it's what I end up doing to myself. It's classic Bella. I fall in love and get all clingy and pathetic. I made my entire life about Edward and I was prepared to do the exact same thing with Jacob. I just… I don't want to be like that."

My entire identity was wrapped up in being with Edward forever. So much so, that I was on the verge of a mental breakdown when he left me.

"Then don't." Strands of long, brown hair slipped from her ponytail and she brushed them away from her face.

"That's easier said than done. This morning he gave me this beautiful locket that I've been wanting for months. Now I'm all strung out on him and… oh, I just hate this." I felt like stamping my feet in frustration.

Was it possible to fall in love and not be consumed by it?

"You're not the same boy crazy teenager and my brother is not Jacob or Edward. Just let yourself be happy, Izzy, and I promise you things will work out in the end." She seemed so sure about how things would turn out for Taylor and me that I was beginning to believe her.

My relationship with Taylor was certainly different to anything I'd had before. While I knew now that I was head over heels in love with him, I was now wise enough to realize that I still existed outside of our relationship. Taylor wasn't my air and I didn't need him to shine sunny rays down on me.

Liz didn't stop when I paused to catch my breath, choosing instead to jog in one spot like a maniac.

"Wow, you're really chasing that endorphin fix, huh?"

"I have to get my good feelings from somewhere. Ryan's all whiny and depressed all the time." Liz pushed out her bottom lip in an adorable pout.

"You broke the guy's penis, Liz. It'll take a while to come back from trauma like that." I puffed, wondering where my sudden wave of fatigue had come from. It was too early in the morning for me to be so tired.

"I know I should be more patient, but it's just _so_ hard." Liz was the one whining now.

"It's your own fault you're in the mess to begin with, little miss hot-crotch." She'd get no sympathy from me. I'd asked Angela if she'd heard about daggering and not only was she aware of it, she sent me a video of people doing the dance that daggering had originated from. If Liz and Ryan had been doing anything remotely similar to what I saw in that video then they were both nuts.

"You don't understand, Izzy. Draken are sexual creatures." Seeing my astonished expression, Liz pressed with rolled eyes. "Haven't you noticed the way my brother's always in your panties?"

Now that she mentioned it, Taylor and I did have a lot of sex. I'd attributed it to our youth, and our relationship still being in the honeymoon period. "I _have_ noticed but I thought he was just being, you know… a guy."

"Well that and you're reaping the benefits of the monk life my brother was living since we moved here," she quipped with mirth dancing in her eyes before sobering. "My guardian craves the sex, and it has as hard a time dealing with celibacy as I do."

"It? Don't you mean she?" I figured that Liz had a girl guardian and Taylor had a boy.

Liz shook her head. "No, it doesn't work that way. Guardians aren't male or female."

I absorbed that new piece of information in silence until a disturbing thought occurred to me. Ordinarily, I would have been too embarrassed to inquire about Liz's sex life, but shame died a horrible death when she dragged Taylor off me this morning. "Does your guardian ever surface during sex?"

"Well, yeah. All the time," Liz admitted with a secretive smile that faltered when she noted my frown. "What?"

"Taylor said his guardian has been surfacing to look at me. I'm wondering if it sees me when we're having sex."

"Probably." Liz laughed when my face flushed red.

Liz might have thought it was funny, but I found the invasion of privacy disconcerting. Taylor's demon was a peeping tom, and he didn't say anything because he didn't want to creep me out.

Liz regarded my troubled look with a gleam of amusement in her eyes. "Try not to let it bother you. Maybe his guardian just likes to watch."

A reluctant smile tugged at my lips when Liz giggled. Despite my initial mortification, I wasn't the least bit deterred by Taylor's perverted guardian. Loving Taylor also meant learning to accept his strange qualities. In the grand scheme of things, a little inappropriate spying didn't seem like such a big thing.

Liz heaved a sigh. "By the way, you're right about Ryan. I'll try to be more understanding, but I'll need your help getting my endorphin fix."

One eyebrow rose in challenge. "And just how am I supposed to help you?"

Liz slowed her pace until she was behind me, before slapping me hard on my butt. "Move your ass, bitch."

She sped off with a playful squeal, leaving me to chase after her in pursuit of retribution.

* * *

Watching Taylor read his book, I fell into a state of warm contentment. My eyes wandered over his toned form, admiring his beautiful eyes, inviting mouth, a strong jaw line that was emphasized by rugged stubble. I resisted the urge to crawl over to him, bury my face in his neck and inhale the clean, intoxicating scent of his shower gel. Good God, the man was sexy.

All day I'd been trying to figure out a way to tell Taylor how I felt about him only to chicken out in the end. It didn't help that my friends were acting like fools. Ryan and Zach kept giving me sly looks, and Liz couldn't stop grinning like a Cheshire cat. From the way they were acting, you would swear that Taylor and I were getting hitched or something.

A lazy smile played on his face when he glanced up and caught me staring at him. "What?"

"Nothing." I quickly hid my gaze behind my book.

It wasn't long before I was peeking over the top of my book again.

"Okay, why are you staring at me?" This time there was a spark of humor in his eyes.

"I was just trying to imagine what you'll look like in thirty years. So far, I pictured you with reading glasses, a touch of gray in your hair and a soft middle." I leaned across and tickled his stomach.

"Excuse me. Why does my stomach have to be soft?" He laughingly caught my hand.

He crawled over and kissed me soundly. I was breathless when he pulled away and groaned, "Oh God."

"Hey, don't start without me," I teased.

"We can't let ourselves get sidetracked. We still have an hour of studying left." Damn him and his study ethic.

Taylor climbed out of bed, taking his books over to the desk. I stared at his strong back as he rummaged around in a bag for his notebook. Just then I wanted to tell him that I loved him, but knowing that he'd waited so long to hear me say the words, I wanted to do something special.

I was suddenly struck with the shyness of a teenage girl when I crawled off the bed.

"I was thinking we could catch a movie later." I tucked some strands of hair behind my ear, feeling my cheeks warm. "And then afterward we could have some dinner and talk… about us."

When I finally stopped staring at my feet, Taylor hadn't moved from his position by the desk. In fact, he appeared to be frozen to the spot, staring off into space.

"Taylor, did you hear what I just said?" I asked and received no response.

There was something off in the stillness of his body. _What's wrong with him?_

"Taylor." I moved closer until I was standing behind him.

Hesitantly, I reached out to touch his arm. But before my fingers made contact, Taylor spun around and snatched my wrist.

His hardened face was the same, and yet it was almost unrecognizable. The feral eyes were back and currently darting across my face with a predatory alertness. I knew with certainty that Taylor's guardian had surfaced and was looking at me.

Almost instantly, my heart rate accelerated and my fear spiked. It took me a couple attempts to speak. "T-Taylor?"

The grip on my wrist tightened painfully, his fangs lengthened dangerously before my widening eyes.

I swallowed around my rising hysteria and did something a bit reckless. I decided to talk to it. "Um… hello." Understandably there was a tremor in my voice.

Taylor's face paled, eyes widening in horror as he shoved me away from him so hard that I almost fell. "Don't talk to it. Don't encourage it!"

"Taylor, wait!" I called after him as he stormed out of my bedroom.

"I know you wanted to go out later, but I can't be around people right now." He wouldn't even slow his long strides. I caught up with him in the living room when he stopped to talk to Zach. Zach, who'd been lounging on the couch, watching TV, shot up when he noticed Taylor's fangs. "Sleep here tonight. I'm having one of those nights," Taylor disclosed tersely and Zach nodded with obvious unease etched into his face.

Seeing Zach's reaction, Taylor's expression became guarded and he wordlessly left the apartment.

The door closed and I whirled on Zach. "Do you always have to act like that?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Like he's so terrifying. He feels bad enough about being a draken without you making him feel worse," I snapped angrily.

Zach frowned at me. "That's not fair, Izzy. You know I can't deal when he has fangs." He continued in a lowered voice. "Not everyone's as cool with the supernatural as you are."

He was right, I wasn't being fair. It was perfectly normal to be nervous around the supernatural. _I_ was the real weirdo here. Even worse, I was taking out my anger on Zach.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just…" I sighed, feeling my anger ebb away.

"What?" Zach's hazel eyes shone with curiosity.

"Nothing," I said and went back to my room.

Helplessness and worry caused me to pace.

_Having one of those nights._

That was what Taylor would say when he was experiencing a power surge. The following day he'd turn up tightlipped, pretending that everything was fine. Pretending that he hadn't spent the previous night, battling a supernatural being for control of his body. Looking back at years gone by, Taylor had always pulled his disappearing act. Not surprisingly, I realized that those were also the times that Zach would conveniently be too tired to journey back to his own apartment.

After a while I was finally able to identify what was bothering me. Tonight was supposed to be a perfect night, our night. I was tormented by the suspicion that Taylor still believed I was too skittish to handle an encounter with his demon. Liz swore that his guardian wasn't an evil monster and I was beginning to believe her. Earlier, when the demon had surfaced, all it did was stare at me. It didn't go for my neck, growl or anything like that. Taylor was the one that freaked out when I tried to talk to it.

Maybe he never pressured me to find out what my feelings were for him because he believed himself to be a freakish monster. Maybe he didn't really believe anyone could love someone like him. More than anything, it was that thought that made my heart ache.

My pacing came to a halt as I came to a decision without realizing it. As soon as the coast was clear, I planned to slip out of my room and head for Taylor's apartment.

Whether or not Taylor wanted to admit it, his guardian was a part of him. If he was ever going to have any peace, then he would need to learn to accept it. The progress made tonight could be the first steps toward helping Taylor do just that. If I could spend the entire night with him, then Taylor would be convinced that his guardian was not homicidal and that I'd truly accepted him.

Thankfully, Liz had dragged a very reluctant Ryan to a showing down at the museum, so I didn't have to worry about sneaking pass them. However, I had to wait about an hour for Zach to fall asleep, before I was able to make my escape. The noise from the TV was enough to cloak the sound of my exit.

My heart began to pound as I quietly let myself into the darkened apartment. Nothing prepared me for what was about to happen next.

There were pained sounds coming from Taylor's room.

I pushed the door open to find Taylor on his hands and knees. The black t-shirt he was wearing earlier laid discarded in pieces on the floor. My breath froze in my chest as the sound of wet pops echoed across the room. The bones in his back and arms snapped in preparation to reshape themselves. He was locked in the middle of a transformation and resisting it with all his might. His head jerked up when I called out to him softly. His body stiffened, eyes widening in horror when he registered that I was in the room with him.

"_NO!_" He screamed in a voice that didn't quite sound human.

Taylor threw out his hand and a wave of telekinesis knocked me off my feet, sending me flying out of his room. Air rushed from my lungs as I landed painfully on my back. Gasping for breath, I blinked my eyes open and found myself sprawled on the floor of Zach's room. The muscles in my back protested and my head throbbed as I struggled to sit up.

Taylor was still in his room, crouched on the carpet. Strong tremors began to wrack his body once more, and he issued a low, menacing growl that raised the hairs on the back of my neck. He was rapidly losing the battle against his guardian and it was all my fault. His guardian had seen me, and being so close to the surface now, Taylor couldn't keep it contained anymore.

_What did I do?_

I swallowed hard, fighting my rising panic as he lifted his hand again. My fear increased tenfold as I closed my eyes, expecting to feel pain that didn't come.

With the last of his fading sanity, Taylor used his power to shut Zach's door in a futile effort to keep me safe from him.

A frightening screech resonated throughout the apartment and then everything went silent. I felt my blood run cold. My legs shook with fear as I stood knowing, without the shadow of a doubt, that Taylor's guardian was free.

The silence was broken by the sound of sharp claws, scratching against the wooden surface of the door. It was trying to get in.

Terror warred with self preservation, but it was common sense that won out in the end.

_I have to hide._

Frantically, I searched for a hiding place before bolting for the closet. It was then, cowering in Zach's closet with the hairy spider that he'd been trying to kill for weeks, that the stupidity of my plan hit me.

I could've told Taylor I loved him in a letter. Hell, I could've done it over the phone or via email. But _no_, being the idiot that I was, I just had to go for the whole grand gesture thing. People will carve _died of stupidity_ on my tombstone. _Idiot!_

My self-flagellation came to an abrupt halt when Zach's door opened with an ominous creak. The frantic hammering of my heart had me gasping for breath, on the verge of hysteria. My heart jumped when a shadow passed in front of the door, and I covered my mouth to keep from screaming.

For a second, I allowed myself to think that I was safe. He wouldn't be able to find me.

That sad little illusion was shattered when the closet door was suddenly ripped off its hinges and I was confronted by the large, shadowy figure of Taylor's demon. Shock and the raw power of the creature's fury rendered me speechless.

_Shit._

Clawed hands grabbed me by the hair, and viciously hauled me out of my safe haven. My throat closed up with fear as I struggled, blindly clawing at the iron grip that refused to loosen. In the end, all I could do was hold on as the creature dragged me across the hall by my hair, without giving me a chance to regain my footing.

The door slammed shut behind us, and in that instant I knew that I was going to die.

And I was going to die horribly.

* * *

**A/N:** Only one chapter left, folks. I'm so excited to return to Forks.

The song Taylor sang for Bella is call Girl by Jim Sturgess (Originally Beatles)

**Back to the Story:** So Bella tried to tell Taylor and he wouldn't listen. I'm not sure what to say about that.

Was Alice right to tell Bella not to tell Taylor?

Bella's health is getting worse.

What do you think about Bella calling Sue for advice and Sue thinking she was preggers.

Liz pulled Taylor off Bella. Nobody gets in the way of her endorphin rush.

How do you feel about Taylor's gift and Bella realizing her true feelings for him?

Was Bella's decision to sneak into Taylor's room smart?

Will Bella get out of this one?

What do you think will happen next?

**A/N:** **Review** and receive your **teasers** people!


	60. Choke and Chew Toy

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Flying solo folks.  
**

**Thank you to my reviewers.**

* * *

Chapter 60

For the second time tonight, the air was knocked from my lungs after being thrown across the room. A stab of shock went through me as I sat up, staring at the large figure, crouched by the door.

In a quick, almost fluid motion, the beast stood and I followed suit, scrambling to my feet. My eyes began to register what my brain was struggling to comprehend.

_He was… bigger._

Slack-jawed, I gawked at Taylor's mutated body. Long, black hair flowed down his back and over broadened shoulders, shielding his face from view. Pointed elflike ears poked out the sides of his head. His body had grown; arms and legs were powerfully built and tipped with incredibly sharp, deadly claws. Grey sweat pants clung to his well-muscled thighs. Despite the terrifying power emanating from the demon, it still looked human. Well… most of him anyway.

Taylor's body had been demolished and rebuilt to be the perfect vampire killing machine.

A menacing growl resonated throughout the room and my blood ran cold.

His head tilted to the side and predatory eyes gleamed from behind his long curtain of hair. I felt the weight of his stare examining my body, assessing me as if I was potential prey.

Fear squeezed my throat when I realized that there was no escape. I was trapped.

"_Human_." His growly voice was the sound of two voices speaking as one. I was able to recognize the voice that belonged to Taylor. The other voice was filled with rage and danger. It was the latter voice that had my internal alarm bells going off like crazy.

Dumbfounded, I stared at him, completely shocked that he could talk. I remembered Taylor said that his guardian never spoke, but would only communicate with him through its emotions.

Leaning toward me slightly, he sniffed the air between us.

"_Human_." The word sounded as though it had been forced through his vocal cords. Clearly, speaking did not come naturally to him.

The large muscles in his chest expanded when he leaned forward and inhaled again. His body stiffened and he recoiled with a feral growl. I felt his fury growing.

Immediately, I knew I was in some serious trouble.

The feeling multiplied when, without warning, I was lifted into the air and held immobile by an invisible force. I felt a burst of panic when another terrifying growl tore from his chest. Too late I realized that the guardian wasn't _saying_ the word human, it was _asking_ if I was human because it couldn't tell from my smell for some unknown reason.

Before I could open my mouth, the creature rose off the ground and lunged. One large hand caught me by the throat as I hovered in the air and squeezed. I couldn't breathe. In full blown panic, I clawed at his hand and felt it tighten unbearably. My lungs burned, screaming for air. No matter how hard I kicked and thrashed around, I couldn't get free.

His lips drew back in a snarl, revealing fangs and two rows of sharp teeth.

My vision blurred. Dark spots swam before my eyes and eventually my struggles began to weaken. I felt myself slipping away.

The burning fury in his eyes seemed to clear and he placed his nose close to my neck and inhaled again. He withdrew with a confused frown on his face.

The room dimmed dangerously and he released me just as I was about to pass out.

I fell to the floor, coughing and gasping for air. When I came to my senses, I was curled into a ball with my hands wrapped around my throbbing neck. I felt faint from having been deprived of air for so long. Swallowing hurt, but that was nothing when compared to what I felt, knowing that Taylor's guardian just tried to kill me. Taylor was right about his demon being homicidal, and I was stupid enough to get myself trapped in a room with it.

What I didn't understand was why? Why did he attack–

A clawed hand grabbed my shoulder and with a hard jerk, I found myself sprawled on my back. He snatched my hand away from my throat and yanked until I was sitting upright. I stiffened when he brought that hand up to his face and inhaled.

He sniffed a scar that I had all but forgotten about. The scar that had been left after James bit me.

Pain sliced through me when he drove his fangs into the scar. Unlike the high I experienced the first time Taylor bit me, this one hurt like hell. Withdrawing his fangs, he ignored the ineffectual pounding on his back, and lowered his mouth to suck my blood.

_The son of a bitch is drinking me!_

A second later, I was bewildered when he raised his head and spat the blood on the floor. Lowering his head, he scented the wound once more. He growled again, this time in frustration before suctioning the cut once again. He repeated his former actions, spitting out my blood in a manner that communicated his disgust. When he was finished he released me, watching silently as I scrambled away from him with my bleeding hand clutched to my chest.

_God, what the hell is his deal?_

I literally put my neck on the line to be here for Taylor and this was the thanks I got. Ending up as a choke and chew toy for some crazy ass demon was so not a part of my plan.

Breathing heavily, I examined the two small holes in my hand. The scar that had always been slightly cool to the touch, now felt as warm as the skin surrounding it. I threw a contemplative glance at the creature as he sat, peering at me through his newly grown locks. I had so many questions. Had there been traces of leftover venom in my system all this time? Had the scent of James' venom altered my scent all these years? Was that what set him off?

Having lost interest in me, the guardian rose up off the floor and glided over to Taylor's dresser. Words couldn't describe how freaky it was to see him floating through the air. One by one he picked up various items, examining them with a critical eye. Each item received a quizzical sniff before he uncaringly tossed them over his shoulder. When the surfaced had been cleared, he went on to open drawers and explore the clothes inside them. The end result was Taylor's things being thrown all over the room.

My anxiety kicked up a notch when he started to drift over in my direction, but my annoyance flared when he floated by without so much of a glance. _So_ _much for being curious about me._ After being choked and bitten, I'd been discarded like Taylor's ruined lampshade. It was a blow to the ego to realize that he found Taylor's sock drawer more interesting than me.

While he was distracted, I glanced at the door, and contemplated making an escape. Fearful that any flight attempts would make him angry, I quickly dismissed those thoughts. My only choices were to wait to be rescued or for Taylor to reawaken and regain control of his body. With Liz and Ryan still out on their date and Zach passed out on the couch, I didn't think that a rescue would be likely.

I recalled Taylor using meditation and hot showers to calm himself. The odds of me getting him to sit still to meditate were nonexistent. And I couldn't help but think that spraying him with hot water would only succeed in pissing him off. So my best chance would be to do what Zach did when he was stuck in his room while Taylor's beast roamed their apartment. Stay put and pray for daylight or that the guardian would tire himself out. Whichever came first.

Clearly this was like one big fieldtrip for him. Whether it was shoes, clothes or electronics, he was curious about any and everything he came into contact with. He headed toward Taylor's nightstand where a not so secret chocolate stash was being kept. I immediately noticed a change in his demeanor when he opened the drawer and came across food. Apparently both the man and the beast shared a large sweet tooth.

The draken bit into a chocolate bar with frenzied excitement. Without thinking about it, I decided to stop him when I noticed he was also eating the wrapper. Despite the many changes made to Taylor's body, I was sure digesting plastic wasn't one of them.

"Don't eat the–"

His head jerked up at the sound of my voice and I cursed myself for my stupidity. Why the hell would I want to remind him of my presence?

My pulse raced as he made his way over to me, this time on foot. He seated himself close to me and I flattened myself against the wall, anticipating another attack. He lowered his face to mine and I shut my eyes, my heart pounding a mile a minute.

Warm breath fanned my face before something soft and _wet_ caressed my cheek. My eyes shot open in shock as he pulled back, before settling into a more comfortable position on the floor.

_He licked me?_

Dazed, I brought a hand to my cheek.

I was startled when something landed in my lap.

It was his mangled chocolate bar.

Why did I get the feeling that this was some sort of peace offering?

If Taylor could feel his guardian's emotions then it had to work vice versa. Living inside a host that despised him couldn't have been easy. His demon probably felt unloved and unwanted. Having felt that way about myself after Edward left, I actually began to sympathize with the draken beast. Was I crazy to feel sympathy for a creature that almost killed me? Probably. Still, the more I studied him, the more I realized that he wasn't a monster, just an uncivilized caveman. Because Taylor had been so successful at keeping him caged, he had no experience with people.

Minutes rolled by as we sat still, staring at each other, until I became annoyed with my cowardice. I wasn't some frail, wilting flower who fainted at the sight of anything supernatural. I used to hang out with vampires and werewolves on a daily basis. How would I convince Taylor that I'd truly accepted him, if I wimped out now? Come tomorrow, Taylor would know that I could deal with _all_ of him, even the scary parts.

The first step would be attempting to communicate with him.

"Um… hello." My voice wavered and my throat ached. He cocked his head to the side, giving no indication that he understood what I was saying. "Can you understand me?"

When no answer came, I was left wondering if he only knew one word. Taylor had once explained to me that in addition to maintaining control of his body, he'd also barred his guardian from having complete access to his mind. Maybe the demon didn't have access to the part of Taylor's brain that controlled speech.

The realization that he couldn't speak made me a little sad. How was his guardian supposed to get used to people if Taylor kept it locked away all the time? I bet no one ever showed him any bit of kindness.

An idea struck and I decided to follow the impulse. "You know what? I think you should have a name. How about…"

He was definitely not an Ethan or a Tom.

I gazed at him steadily until my eyes landed on his mouth and it hit me. I had the perfect name.

"Fang. I'm going to call you Fang. Do you like that name?" I asked, hoping for some sort of response.

He didn't respond, but angled his head to the side again. I suspected he was wondering what the hell I was squawking about.

In the drawn out silence, we gazed at each other and I wondered what he saw when he looked at me. Even sitting down, he was taller than me. His large frame seemed to fill up the entire room. Despite his harmless stance, his aura exuded danger and unimaginable power. I'd already gotten a taste of the violence he was capable of and didn't really want a repeat.

But I'd come too far to turn back now. Fang had to get used to my presence.

With his eyes trained on my every moment, I slowly lifted a hand. My hand paused in midair when his nostrils flared, taking in my smell like a wild animal. When it appeared that he was not going to bite me, I gently brushed aside the long strands of hair that covered his face. At my touch, the tension seemed to drain from his body, and a knot of emotion welled in my throat. Other than the snake eyes and scary teeth, it was still the face I'd come to love so much, Taylor's face.

Feeling brave, I let my fingers trail across his brow and along his strong jaw line. Not wanting to cut myself, I avoided coming into contact with his sharp fangs. There was a dark substance on his lip that might have been blood, chocolate or a combination of both. I suppressed the temptation to reach out and wipe it away. I wasn't that brave.

When he remained unaffected by my explorations, I cautiously reached for his pointy ears. My fingers slid along Fang's ear, from base to pointy tip. It felt like any normal ear would. He released a shuddering breath when I pinched his earlobe, noticing the way his breath hitched. I was momentarily confused by his reaction until I remembered how much Taylor loved it when I played with his earlobe. Maybe Fang liked it too.

I gasped and released a shaky laugh when his ear twitched beneath my fingers.

Emboldened by his stillness, I let my hand slide along his jaw and down his throat. Rock hard chest muscles flexed beneath my probing fingertips and I felt his heart pounding in an erratic rhythm under my palms. Was he anxious, afraid? The closed expression on his face gave me no inkling. His skin felt tougher, reinforced somehow. I ran my hands over his sinewy biceps, marveling at his newly developed physique. Through regular laps in the pool, Taylor managed to maintain his athletic build. But the hulking mass before me was ridiculous. Not an ounce of fat anywhere.

I started when soft strands of his hair curled around my fingers.

His hair was moving on its own!

Upon closer inspection, his hair moved, writhing slowly like a pile of snakes. Each strand appeared to be silky soft and mildly abrasive to the touch. I laughed when more strands joined the others, tickling my palm. More tendrils curled around my fingers, moving lazily like a contented cat. I darted a glance at his face. The corners of his mouth turned up in something that resembled a smile.

This was all so damn weird. Taylor was MIA and his ancestral guardian was traipsing around in his body. Not to mention the claws and medusa like hair… This was a lot of information to absorb in such a small space of time.

I moved my hand away and his hair slid loose. Though some strands were a bit more stubborn and tried to hold on for an extra second or two.

What was I supposed to do now? How were we supposed to communicate with each other?

I was taken by surprise when Fang moved closer and grasped my face. He was surprisingly careful with his claws. His eyes blazed with an unfathomable emotion as he anxiously searched my face. As for what he was searching for? I didn't know. The achingly familiar way he looked at me made my pulse quicken.

Stroking a thumb over my cheek, Fang continued to watch me with unwavering focus. He moved his fingers all over my face. Forehead, nose, lips, ears; no part of my face went unexplored.

I flinched when a clawed finger got too close to my eye and croaked, "Hey, watch it. I can't just go out and buy another eye."

Radiating curiosity, his hand stretched out to tentatively stroke my hair. Probably wondering why mine didn't move on its own like his did. Large hands drifted lightly over the swell of my breasts before giving them an unexpected squeeze.

Face burning with embarrassment, I sucked in a breath. "Hey!"

With lightning fast reflexes, he moved his hands away before I could smack them. I glared at him with an indignant huff, but instead of looking contrite, he appeared to be amused by my reaction.

"Pervert," I muttered and watched as his smile widened, revealing his fangs.

That was the moment I felt the first stirrings of attraction for Fang. Of course it didn't help that he looked so much like Taylor.

He must have seen something in my face because his smile faded. My pulse jumped as he slowly bent down, bringing his face within inches of mine. He closed his eyes, inhaling my scent deeply as if it was something to be savored.

A dangerous thrill of sensation shot through me as he dipped his head and nuzzled my throat. I gasped in surprise when he sank his fangs deeply into my neck. A heady wave of euphoria washed over me. Taylor had promised no more biting, but Fang and I had no such agreement.

When I came to my senses, I found myself sitting in his lap, straddling him. I didn't even notice when he moved me. He took one of his sharp claws and drew it across his chest, cutting himself. Gently, he cupped my neck and forced my lips to the bleeding wound. The coppery taste of blood jolted me out of my haze and I tried to pull my mouth away. _What_ _the hell?_

Fang's grip held firm throughout my struggles and my stomach threatened to lurch. I decided to try a different tactic, using pain to persuade him to let me go. He let out a small gasp when I bit down hard and I experienced a surge of triumph. My plan backfired when more warm blood rushed into my mouth.

Something shifted inside me.

One minute I was on the verge of throwing up and then the next, I was clinging to him like a lifeboat. The taste of his blood had gone from metallic to honeyed sweetness. A delicious warmth unfurled in my stomach and branched out, making my limbs tingle. My legs curled around his waist as a shocking rapture swept through my veins.

Deep in the corner of my mind, a part of me knew that my actions were gross and downright unsanitary. Still, I couldn't make myself stop.

I was intoxicated, drunk on the thrill of his rich elixir. I had to have more.

When he was sure I wouldn't try to escape the tight enclosure of his arms, the grip on my neck slackened. His long hair snaked over his shoulders, stroking my body. He swept his tongue across the puncture marks on my neck, before biting down again.

I was lost in a whirlwind of sensation and I was in heaven...

* * *

The early morning light drew me from my sleep. My eyes remained closed as my body began to stir. My limbs ached, body protesting when I shifted to a more comfortable position. Still feeling the fatigue of insufficient sleep, I began to drift off again.

My eyes flew open when the covers were rudely yanked off my body. I struggled to blink away my disorientation, trying to figure out how I ended up in Taylor's bed. Then like a freight train, my memory came rushing back; sneaking into Taylor's room, almost getting myself killed and the blood…

And then I noticed the person standing next to the bed with the covers in his hand.

"You're back." I sat upright, the beginnings of a smile died on my lips when I took in his dark expression.

I'd seen Taylor angry before, but nothing prepared me for the cold fury I was facing now.

A sinking sense of dread invaded my stomach.

Anger contorted his features as his eyes roamed up and down my body. It took a few tries before Taylor was able to speak and when he did, his voice sounded strained. "Why?"

I assumed he was asking why I didn't listen to him when he told me to leave, but I was wrong. Holding up my hands, I was all set to plead my case. "Look, I know you're mad at me for following you back here, but I did it because I lov–"

"Why are you naked?" His words were ground out between gritted teeth.

Looking down at myself, I finally noticed that I wasn't wearing any clothes. Said clothes were lying in a shredded heap across the room. There was a series of red scratches all over my body, in addition to the bruises all over my hips and thighs. I looked at him and saw that he was naked too.

Warmth flooded my cheeks and I quickly snatched the covers out of his grip, bringing it up to my chest. For the first time in our relationship, I was embarrassed to be naked in front of him.

"It's not what you think," I forced myself to say. But I knew that the tremor in my voice and the burning in my cheeks were enough to reveal my lie. Not to mention the telltale soreness between my legs. It was pretty much exactly what he thought.

A range of emotion flittered across his face; anger, betrayal and hurt.

"How could you do that with that–_thing_?"

I opened my mouth but the words wouldn't come out. How could I explain what happened when I didn't really understand it myself? One minute I was touching his face and the next, he was slicing through my bra with his claws and I _let him_.

When Taylor turned away from me in disgust, I dropped the sheet and grabbed his arm. "Just let me explain–"

With a furious snarl, Taylor spun around, his beastly eyes on display and sharp fangs extended murderously. "_Do __**not**__ touch me!_"

I instinctively recoiled in fear and after one tense second Taylor stalked off to the dresser. I flinched when he snatched a t-shirt off the floor before yanking it over his head.

As he jerked on his clothes, I noticed something. Several items – shoes, clothes, even books – seemed to defy gravity and float aimlessly through the air. In his fury, he didn't have control of his telekinetic abilities. Now was definitely not a good time to talk to him.

He stormed out of the room and all of the floating objects fell to the floor. The slamming of the front door signaled his exit from the apartment.

I sat on the bed in shock, staring at the bedroom door until Liz came barreling through it moments later. "What the hell, Izzy? I ran into Taylor on my way here and he _hissed_ at me. What the hell is going on?"

Just then we heard the squeal of car tires, and made it to the window just in time to see Taylor's car speeding away from our building… away from me.

After a shower and a change of clothes, I walked into the living room only to be ambushed by questions.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"How could you do something so insane?"

"Do you have some kind of death wish?"

"What happened to your neck?" Zach narrowed his eyes in scrutiny.

"It's nothing… just a misunderstanding." I wasn't about to tell them that Taylor's guardian had mistaken me for a vampire.

I settled on the couch and felt the dull ache of a headache coming on.

_Great. Just what I needed._

"Okay. Obviously something happened last night. Liz found you wearing a sheet, so I'm just going to come right out and ask." Ryan shifted awkwardly in his seat. "Was it… consensual?"

It took a few seconds before I processed what he was asking me. When I did, my mouth fell open. "What? No! Fang would never–"

"Wait a minute. Fang?" Ryan interrupted with an incredulous look on his face.

"It's what I named him," I admitted in chagrin.

Zach and Ryan were staring at me like I just sprouted another head.

Thankfully, Liz chose not to comment on that little revelation. "Okay, Izzy. Why don't you tell us what happened last night?"

So I told them everything from me hiding in the closet to him biting me. I glossed over the being mistaken for a vampire and the sex parts. Liz's face paled when she heard about Fang making me drink his blood. And Zach was downright horrified.

"So you snuck into Taylor's room while his guardian was fighting for control." Liz shook her head slowly. "Oh, Izzy, that was such a bad plan."

_I know that now._

"You said his guardian was harmless." Okay, so I twisted her words a little, but I was feeling a little defensive and tired of them looking at me like I was crazy.

Liz wouldn't let me get away with misquoting her. "No, I said it wasn't a monster. Taylor has an aggressive guardian which makes him too dangerous and unpredictable to be around when he's like that. He could've easily killed you last night, Izzy."

"Well, he didn't," I retorted.

"Good thing you're not a vampire or else we wouldn't be sitting here having this conversation right now."

"Yeah," I murmured, fingering the bite mark on my hand.

Ryan noticed. "I can't believe he bit you." He leaned in and touched my throat. "And those marks look bad."

He wasn't exaggerating. Before coming out of the bedroom, I'd caught a glance at my neck in the mirror and it wasn't pretty. There were black and blue bruises all over my throat from when Fang grabbed me. With my pale skin, the marks stood out even more. No wonder Taylor freaked out when he saw me this morning.

I didn't care about the marks. Taylor was my main concern. "Have you heard anything from him?" I turned to Liz.

"No. He's not answering his phone." She smiled sadly. "Just give it some time, Izzy. He'll come back after he calms down."

I nodded, wanting to believe her but a small part of me was already beginning to doubt.

Two days passed and we heard nothing from Taylor.

I made the conscious decision not to call Taylor. He made the decision to leave. No one could make him come back if he didn't want to. If he wanted to talk to me, he would have to call me himself. Even though I was sick with worry, I didn't let myself fall apart. I attended classes as usual, wearing turtlenecks and scarves to hide the marks. Under the watchful gazes of my friends, I did my assignments and baked whenever I had the free time. Still my baking time was anything but therapeutic. Not with Zach waiting to swoop in the second my baking turned into another psychotic episode.

When I was all baked out, I'd crawl into bed and hug Taylor's pillow to my chest. It was the not knowing that drove me crazy. The nonstop worrying whether he was okay or not. It was torture having to constantly wonder if he was ever coming back. Taylor had money. He could use it to disappear forever. I tried my best to keep my fears from getting the best of me but it was hard. The nights were especially long. After months of sharing a bed, I couldn't get used to sleeping alone. Whatever sleep I managed to get was haunted by dreams of Taylor. The dreams, where I couldn't find him anywhere, were the worst. Even in the sleep I couldn't escape the aching sense of loss I felt. I missed him.

Over those two days, Liz and Ryan had begun to act strangely. They'd suddenly stop speaking whenever I entered the room. At night, I'd hear them whispering to each other outside my door. Liz would alternate between leaving swear-filled messages on Taylor's voicemail and sneaking almost fearful looks in my direction.

I thought I might have been imagining things until Zach commented on their weird behavior.

On the third day, I rushed home from class and headed straight for Taylor's room, only to be disappointed again. His room was exactly as I'd left it. Nothing had been touched. He was still gone.

The pain in my heart was all too familiar. How often would I repeat this scene before I realized the obvious? Taylor wasn't coming back and I'd been left yet again.

Blinking back the tears, I whispered to myself. "Don't you dare cry."

The walk back to my apartment was a blur. I rounded the corner and stopped dead in my tracks.

Taylor was sitting on my bed, dressed in clothes I'd never seen before.

For a moment, my heart leapt until I realized what was happening to me. Taylor wasn't really here and it had finally happened. I'd lost my mind.

When Edward disappeared on me, I heard his voice all the time. But with Taylor, my insanity had reached new heights. I'd begun to hallucinate as a result of having my heart broken again.

Fake Taylor stood, staring at me with those sad green eyes. "I'm sorry."

The sound of his voice was like a knife to the heart. Not only was I having hallucinations, my madness came with sound too.

I planned to nip this in the bud by checking myself into the nearest psychiatric clinic I could find. Maybe that's what I should've done when I'd first started hearing voices.

With averted eyes, I walked over to my closet and took out my suitcase.

"Talk to me."

Nope. Only crazy people went around talking to apparitions. And I was only a little bit crazy. There was still hope. I wasn't completely off my rocker… yet.

"What are you doing with that suitcase?" Fake Taylor asked anxiously.

Determined to ignore the apparition, I pressed my lips together and started shoving clothes into the suitcase.

"Look, I know I shouldn't have left like I did. I freaked out… and–would you please say something?" He said as I returned from my closet carrying another arm full of clothes.

I dumped my things into the suitcase without answering. I was prepared to ignore Fake Taylor as I lugged my suitcase to the car. I would continue to ignore him as I dialed Liz and told her where I was headed. Oh, Fake Taylor would probably kick up a fuss when he heard too, but I planned to turn a deaf ear. I was prepared to do all of this until… he touched my shoulder.

I froze. My breath came in short pants as he slowly turned me around to face him. Taylor had come back. He was real and I wasn't seeing things.

Did I throw myself into his arms and profess my undying love? No.

Instead, I hauled off and punched him in the face.

Ignoring the pain in my knuckles, I threw myself at him, wildly raining blows all over him. "That's what you do… Just disappear for days. You don't even call!" I'd never been so furious with him.

Throughout my tirade, Taylor struggled to secure a grip on my flailing hands. He finally managed to wrestle me down to the ground, restraining both hands high above my head. After a few moments of useless struggling, I laid still, listening to the sounds of our ragged breathing.

Suddenly, my eyes began to sting and then it was like a dam broke. All of the fear and anxiety I'd been carrying around with me over the past few days emerged, and I couldn't stop crying. No matter how much I'd changed, deep inside I still felt like the ugly puppy that gets abandoned at the side of the road. For the rest of my life, the fear of being abandoned would always be with me.

Over my sobbing, Taylor murmured _I'm sorry _over and over in my ear.

When my sobbing subsided, Taylor loosened his grip on my wrists when he was sure I wouldn't try to hit him again.

"I thought you weren't coming back." I sniffled, looking up at him accusingly.

"I almost didn't." He used his thumb to wipe my tears, making me self-conscious. I probably looked like a hot mess right now. "You sleep like the dead."

"What?" The change in topic was so unexpected.

"When I came to and saw you lying on the bed with those marks around your neck… You were so still that I thought you were dead. I…" Taylor trailed off, unable to even voice the words.

"You thought you killed me," I finished for him and he nodded.

He tugged on the collar of my sweater until my neck was exposed. His eyes filled with remorse and he traced the bruises with his fingertips. "I almost did."

"But you didn't." I reached up and curled my fingers around his. One of us had to address the elephant in the room. "Taylor, about what happened that night…"

How could I tell him what happened with Fang without hurting him? How could I say that nothing I did with Fang felt wrong? Would he understand?

"Yeah, we need to talk about what happened." Taylor helped me sit up and then took my hands in his. "There's something you should know…"

His lips continued to move and my mouth fell open.

_Son of a bitch!_

* * *

We spent our spring break in Florida as planned and had a great time, for the most part anyway. I enjoyed getting to spend some much needed time with Renee. Being around her reminded me of just how much I'd missed her quirkiness and spontaneity. She was so happy I'd gotten over that 'awful Dillon' and had moved on to Mr. Hunky Green Eyes (her pet name for Taylor).

Taylor and I used our time in Florida to repair the parts of our relationship that had been damaged by his disappearance. Although we still had trust issues to address, we had far bigger fish to fry. Taylor's revelation had changed everything for all of us, and left me struggling to adjust. Despite everyone being supportive, I knew that my life would never be the same again.

Zach decided not to come with us to Florida, choosing instead to spend his spring break at Leah's house. He was kind enough to let her in on his plans to visit long in advance. At least Leah wouldn't be calling me up with threats to kick my ass because Zach showed up unannounced again.

My last conversation with Alice left me with an odd taste in my mouth. After I called and gave her an update on my life, her tone changed abruptly. I thought she'd had a vision about the Volturi, until she reassured me that it wasn't about them. Still she refused to tell me what it was about. Then she wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise, insisting that everything was fine before rushing me off the phone.

The current state of my relationship with Angela or lack thereof, was one dark spot in my life. She was no longer speaking to me.

We were a week into the spring semester, and things were finally beginning to settle into a routine.

Taylor and I were in my room, getting dressed when I sank onto the bed with a weary sigh.

As usual, he noticed my distraction and immediately guessed the cause. "You're thinking about Angela, aren't you?"

My first instinct was to lie, but when he raised an eyebrow, I confessed, "Yeah."

"I thought we agreed you weren't going to stress yourself out about this?" His green eyes brimmed with concern.

"I can't help it. She still won't take my calls."

"Give her some time to cool down. She'll come around." Taylor crossed the distance between us and sat down next to me.

Taylor's sounded optimistic, but I remembered the furious look on Angela's face. "She threw me out of her apartment, Taylor." He smiled sympathetically and rubbed my shoulder. "You were right, I shouldn't have said anything."

Why did I have to open my big mouth? Taylor told me to stay out of it but I couldn't.

"No, you did the right thing. Angela had a right to know the truth about Trent."

"A lot of good it did me. She wouldn't even believe me."

"She's in denial now, but eventually she'll see that you were right about Trent. When she does, she's going to need you." Taylor mused.

As much as she'd be hurt, I hoped that Angela would learn the truth about Trent sooner rather than later. I needed her friendship now more than ever.

His fingers were warm as he slipped his hand in mine and laced them together. With a hint of mischievousness in his eyes, he brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. We smiled at each other, completely unaware of the forces threatening to tear us apart.

Looking back, we were so young and naïve. What utter fools we were for believing that we could have it all. We should have known better. _I_ should have known better.

Taylor stood up and held out his hand. He frowned when I reached for his hand and missed. His hand was further away than I'd first thought. Annoying things like that had been happening to me a lot lately.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I refused to let any weirdness ruin our day. We had somewhere to be and I didn't want us to be late.

In the living room, we came across our friends watching TV and eating nachos.

"You guys heading out now?" Zach looked up from brushing the crumbs off his pants.

"Yeah."

"Hey, don't forget to text and let me know how everything went, okay?" Liz smiled supportively and I nodded.

Taylor and I were on our way to see a new doctor this morning, and everybody knew I was more than a little nervous.

Taylor led me over to the front door but before he could open it, we heard a knock. With a puzzled look, he opened up the door and to our complete surprise; Alice and Carlisle were standing there.

"Carlisle? Alice, what are you guys doing here?" My surprised smile faded at their somber expressions.

"Hello, Bella. Can we come in?" Carlisle asked and then proceeded to do just that without our permission. The door closed quietly behind them.

My anxiety skyrocketed and I gripped Taylor's hand tighter. Something was wrong. I could feel it. "Alice, what's going on?" When she looked away, I prodded, "Alice?"

My friends came up behind us. "Is everything all right, you guys?" Liz grasped my free hand. Whatever she was sensing from the Cullens must've scared her.

Carlisle kept his face impassive, though I detected a flicker of apprehension in his eyes. "Maybe you should sit down."

"I don't want to sit down. I want to know what's going on." My vision suddenly blurred and I began to feel strange all over. I was becoming more agitated by the second.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this Bella but–"

"It's happening, Carlisle!" Alice shouted.

I wanted to ask what was happening but I couldn't speak, couldn't move. The room tilted as I fell to the floor. There was a flurry of commotion and I heard the alarmed voices of my friends in the background. Everybody seemed so far away.

Carlisle began to bark out orders.

"Alice, protect her head!" Alice moved fast, too fast. Dimly, I worried that my friends would see.

"Get her on her side now!" Cold hands gripped my shoulders, my eyes rolled back and I blacked out.

**To be continued...**

* * *

**A/N: **Yay! The final chapter folks and I'm so excited. If you hear a crazy lady laughing at the top of her lungs, don't worry. It's only me!

I just want to thank you guys for sticking with me and reviewing. This story wasn't supposed to be so long but I underestimated how long it'd take to change Bella Swan. I wanted her change to be gradual and not overnight. And I never expected Taylor to take over my story so much. Also thanks for your encouragement. It helped whenever I thought about giving up.

Now, this story ends at start the spring semester of Bella's junior year. The sequel picks up when Bella returns to Forks, about one year and some months later.

A few things, the new story will be entitled **My So-Called Mortal Life** and will be written in third person. I'll be relieved to get out of Bella's head. Don't take this story off your story alerts yet. I'll post a notice here when the sequel is up. Or you can add me to your author alerts.

**Back to the Story:**

Were you scared or charmed by Fang?

Should Taylor have gotten upset with Bella when he found out what happened between her and Fang?

Did you think that Taylor was ever coming back?

What was Taylor's big revelation?

Why aren't Bella and Angela friends anymore?

What's up with Alice and Carlisle's sudden visit?

And what the hell is wrong with Bella?

**A/N:** Here your final chance to review and let me know what you'd like to see in the sequel. Are you hoping for a Izzy/Taylor ending or are you rooting for a Bella/Jake ending?

OFF TOPIC, I saw Hunger Games a few days ago and it was good. But why oh why do I always fall for the underdog (Gale) in every story I read. Ugh! It never fails.


	61. Sequel

The first chapter of My So-Called Mortal Life is up you guys.

Check it out.


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